Even as chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday claimed that the state was in the final stage of preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for the redevelopment of the former 93 acre Bombay Develop
Even as chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday claimed that the state was in the final stage of preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for the redevelopment of the former 93 acre Bombay Development Directorate (BDD) chawls, residents came out in protest. They were protesting the state government’s proposal to appoint Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) as the nodal agency for redevelopment as also its going ahead with the announcement without taking all residents into confidence.
However, the chief minister said “a group of interested people and developers” is “trying to trying to spread this for their own vested interests.” “We will take the decision in the best interests of people and not in the interests of the lobby which is trying to barge into the project using some people as shield,” the CM said in reply to an SMS query.
The state plans to redevelop BDD chawls under 33 9 (B) of the cluster development policy and plans to give a floor space index (FSI) of 4.
Raju Waghmare, Akhil BDD Chawl Rahiwasi Mahasangh, said, “Our demand is simple that we do not trust Mhada and do not want them to act as the nodal agency in the redevelopment of BDD chawls. We have requested the state government several times either to form a separate body for redeveloping BDD chawls on the lines of Dharavi or allow us to self-develop the area. The residents of these chawls are the first people whom the government should take into confidence before making announcements in public.”
“We are a total of seven organisations who have come together to protest the chief minister’s decision to make Mhada the nodal agency for redevelopment without taking us into consideration,” he added.
According to BDD residents, if they are allowed to self-redevelop the chawls, the private developer will give them a corpus fund that will help residents after redevelopment for maintenance of societies formed. “In case of Mhada, we will not get any corpus fund and will end up paying a monthly Rs 3,000 as maintenance. The amount is simply not affordable for residents of BDD chawls, and will result in them selling off their flats and going to reside in the far suburbs,” said Mr Waghmare.
