As over 500 families got possession of their new flats under the BDD chawl redevelopment project in Worli, Mumbai, on Thursday, Maharashtra Chief minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis urged the residents not to sell their new homes and instead pass them on to the next generation as they would with gold, Hindustan Times reported.
Speaking at an event in Matunga where keys to new 500 sq ft homes in a 40-storey high-rise built on prime real estate were handed to the former residents of 160 sq ft tenements at BDD Chawl, the CM said the project, along with the redevelopment of Dharavi, would change the quality of life in Mumbai.
The CM handed over the keys to 16 of the 556 residents who are getting new homes. He said giving ownership flats to BDD Chawl residents is the beginning of the fulfilment of Mumbaikars’ dream of getting homes in the city.
“BDD chawls are not just houses but a living history of Mumbai’s social and economic transformation. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar rightly said that residents should not sell these ownership homes. These are not just homes, but like gold, which we hand over to the next generation. So, no one should sell these houses,” he was quoted by HT as saying.
As per the report, Fadnavis was referring to the common practice of slum residents—mostly Marathi families—preferring to sell their homes in redeveloped buildings and move to the suburbs since they get a good price for the flats in the island city. Meanwhile, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, during his speech, also instructed officials to make some provisions so that women in the family also get ownership of these homes in BDD Chawls.
The second phase of the redevelopment project will be completed in October-November, and the third phase in December, by which time all BDD Chawl Worli residents will have new homes, the CM was quoted as saying. The redevelopment of other old colonies, including Abhyudaya Nagar and GTB Nagar, is also in the pipeline, he added.
Fadnavis also defended the controversial Dharavi redevelopment project, saying that it was like building a new city. “We are rehabilitating eligible people in the same locality and giving them all amenities. Dharavi cannot be viewed as a slum. It is a centre for economic activity. The economic activities that go on in Dharavi do not probably happen in an industrial cluster,” he addeed.
“If we change its nature, the project will never be successful. Their residences are linked to their profession. We have to establish elaborate activities like creating a value chain in Dharavi and not tax them for five years. Dharavi will see a vibrant industrial colony,” the CM added.
As per the report, Fadnavis also assured that Dharavi residents who are ineligible for housing in the area will be rehabilitated elsewhere in Mumbai. “If ineligible people are removed, it will lead to another slum. The ineligible will be given houses under rental accommodation, and ownership of the house will be transferred in their name in 12 years,” he was quoted as saying.
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