The long pending redevelopment of BDD chawls will have some ray of hope after minister of state for housing, Ravindra Waikar assured the legislative Assembly of taking a decision on it in a month’s time. He also said that separate control rules would be made for the BDD and Mhada would implement the construction work as nodal agency for the redevelopment.
“The state government is prepared for the redevelopment of BDD chawls and Cabinet note is also ready for the same. As the government wants to provide equal space to every resident, separate development control rules will be prepared for the same and Mhada would act as nodal agency for it,” Mr Waikar told the Assembly while replying to a query regarding pending redevelopment of the BDD chawls.
Ashish Shelar, Kalidas Kolambkar, Raj Purohit, Atul Bhatkhalkar raised the issues of rehabilitation at the same place, rehabilitation of residents staying in chawls on the land owned by Union government and separate authority on the lines of Dharavi redevelopment. A few hundred families reside in the BDD chawls situated at Worli, NM Joshi Marg, Sewri and Naigaon. The hutments are hundreds of years old and are in a dilapidated condition.
Replying to the queries, Mr Waikar said that separate development control rules would be prepared and there is a need for redevelopment of BDD chawls that were built between 1921 and 1925 at four places. He even said that the state is in communication with the Centre about it as Sewri chawls are on the central government’s land. The state minister even assured that the government is trying to rehabilitate the residents at the same place.
