Whether it is the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combine or opposition parties like the Shiv Sena and BJP, slum redevelopment schemes have received thumbs up from all quarters.
Whether it is the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combine or opposition parties like the Shiv Sena and BJP, slum redevelopment schemes have received thumbs up from all quarters.
Of course, this affirmation comes with certain riders. In all the 36 assembly segments spanning across the six Lok Sabha constituencies of Mumbai, there is intense battle among local politicians to gain an upper hand in slum rehabilitation initiatives.
Although the decision on whether or not to opt for redevelopment rests with societies, local politicians covertly try to influence decision making.
With chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh holding the portfolio of housing and urban development, the opposition has been accusing Congress members of milking the scheme to their benefit.
But those in the ruling coalition argue, “The decision to opt for redevelopment requires sanction from 70 per cent of residents of the slum. Local representatives are the ones who call the shots, not us.”
But not everyone buys that explanation. “With the CM heading departments that cover slum redevelopment schemes, his coterie is making the most of the populist schemes,” claims BJP’s Madhav Bhandari.
However, the SRA does not have a single godfather. In several high profile areas between Vile-Parle and Borivili, the BJP and Shiv Sena are identified as custodians of the SRA scheme. The Congress-NCP combine is believed to be in control of the scheme in other parts of the city, including areas of Dharavi, Lower Parel and Bandra.
“The slum redevelopment scheme is one of the best policies in the world,” says Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam. “Nowhere in the world have we seen schemes where poor people are given 225 sq ft houses for free. It is also the scheme where government does not have to make any investments.”
However, Nirupam demands a regulatory body to curb exploitation by builders and criminal elements.
The purpose of the scheme was to streamline slum colonies scattered all over Mumbai. It was the brainchild of former chief minister Sharad Pawar who mooted the idea in 1991 after discussing the issue with professionals, architects and experts in housing policies.
A blueprint was prepared after surveying the slum population and mapping areas where the scheme could be implemented. Its purpose was also to remove slums coming in the way of mega infrastructure projects. However, vote-bank politics never allowed the administration to take radical steps.
Ahead of the 1995 state assembly elections, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray announced popular housing schemes for slum dwellers in Mumbai. He set an ambitious target of building 10 lakh houses for 40 lakh people.
However, between 1995 and 2000, the saffron alliance failed to achieve even one-tenth of its target. Gradually, after hiccups, the same scheme was adopted by the Democratic Front government, which was voted to power in 1999.
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