Chavan set conditions for the implementation of central government’s slum-free scheme in 24 cities in Maharashtra.
Before the central government implements its ambitious Slum Free India scheme in 24 cities in the Maharashtra, the state government wants it to first chalk out a policy to rehabilitate of the slums on its lands in the city.
Chief minister Ashok Chavan, in a meeting with Union housing secretary Kiran Dhingra on Saturday, suggested that it’s high time the central government has a rehabilitation policy. According to sources in the housing department, nearly 30% of illegal slums in the city are on central government lands owned by the railways, Mumbai Port Trust and defence.
The central government announced its slum-free policy a year ago and identified 24 cities in the state with the population of 3,00,000 and above for the scheme titled Rajiv Avaas Yojana (RAY). The identified cities are to be made completely slum-free over the next five years with joint funding from the Centre, state governments and local civic bodies. However, the major hurdle the state government foresees in implementing RAY is the encroachment on central government land.
Chavan told Dhingra that the state government’s policy of rehabilitation of slumdwellers is very well designed and is producing good results. “A similar policy for the slums on the land owned by central government establishments is the need of the hour. Even though the implementing authority for it will be the state government, a well designed policy has to be in place,” he said.
The state government has protected the slums that have come up prior to 1995 and has taken the responsibility of rehabilitating its residents. The hutments are being replaced with flats measuring 269 sq ft in buildings. However, the slums on central government land cannot be rehabilitated as the central government treats them as encroachers, who cannot be rehabilitated.
An official from the housing department said that even if the central government decides to rehabilitate the slumdwellers, it is very difficult for them to find sufficient alternative land. “The state government has started Slum Rehabilitation Authority schemes and allowed private builders to utilise land for the housing purpose. It is very difficult for railways and MbPT to allow rehabilitation on the same land, as finding alternate land is a tough task,” he said.
The official, however, said that the since the central government has announced the slum free India scheme on its own, it will now have to take a decision about the slums on its own land.
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