Mumbai, July 9 (IANS) Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday announced in the Legislative Assembly that the state government will grant full legal protection to all houses (slum structures) built before January 1, 2011, on lands belonging to the state government, forest department, and various central and state government authorities.

These residents will be appropriately rehabilitated through the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), MHADA, or other housing schemes.

The Minister assured the House that a detailed survey of all residents living on such lands across the state, including the Mumbai suburban district, will be completed within the next three months.

Bawankule further stated that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis approved this policy during a cabinet meeting, and implementation has now begun on a war footing across the state.

Bawankule said that large-scale housing settlements have come up on mangrove areas, forest lands, revenue plots, Nazul lands, and City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) owned properties across Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburbs, and the Konkan region.

Due to development plan reservations, eco-sensitive zones, or stringent forest department regulations, it is impossible to regularise these houses in their current locations.

To resolve this issue, a special committee has been formed under the Konkan Divisional Commissioner, which includes the District Collectors of both Mumbai and Mumbai Suburban districts.

This committee has already initiated the survey process. Taking note of suggestions raised by public representatives in the House, the Minister clarified that a biometric and physical survey of all residents on the concerned lands will be completed within three months.

For locations where housing cannot be regularised due to environmental or technical constraints, a comprehensive master plan will be drafted to determine where and how these residents can be accommodated in Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), CIDCO, or Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) housing projects.

The Minister emphasised that not a single eligible resident living in these areas prior to January 1, 2011, will be left homeless, and the government remains fully committed to ensuring they get their rightful housing.

–IANS

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