Central agencies may be roped in for slum redevelopment projects in MMR

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government is considering the prospect of roping in central agencies to redevelop slums located on central government land in the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR), said officials from the housing department. If the plan comes through, slum colonies will be revamped on joint venture basis between the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and central agencies. The latter would be roped in as nodal agencies for such projects instead of private builders, along the lines of the state government’s recent move to rope in state-run agencies for slum redevelopment, the officials added.
Valsa Nair Singh, additional chief secretary of the department of housing, confirmed the development, saying, “We are trying to facilitate joint ventures with central government agencies for redevelopment of slums on government of India land, such as those owned by defence, customs, railways.” The proposal is still at a draft stage and pending discussion in the cabinet, Singh added.
Earlier this year, the state government allowed eight state-run agencies to redevelop slum clusters on land owned by the state government on joint venture basis. The agencies – including Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), and Maharashtra Housing Corporation and Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology (MAHAPREIT) – were entrusted with the task of redeveloping 228 slum clusters in MMR involving 218,931 tenements.
Under this policy, chief minister and MMRDA chairman Eknath Shinde has already approved ₹8,948 crore for the redevelopment of Kamraj Nagar and Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar slum clusters in Ghatkopar East by MMRDA. MSRDC too has initiated the process of redeveloping the Korba Mithagar slums at Wadala.
The state government is now considering roping in central agencies for slum redevelopment projects along similar lines.
An effort to involve the Union ministries in slum redevelopment in Mumbai was made in early 2017 as well. The defence and railway ministries had then agreed to hand over land owned by them to Maharashtra to rehabilitate slum-dwellers and persons affected by infrastructure projects by December 2017, but the plan did not materialise.
In a related development, the state government on Thursday invited suggestions and objections to a draft housing policy which proposes to redevelop slums through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.
“Involving corporates in slum rehabilitation through CSR funds is a new step. The idea had emerged during discussions in the government of India,” Singh noted.