Mumbai, July 2 (IANS) Dharavi Redevelopment Project CEO S.V.R. Srinivas assured on Wednesday that every resident of Dharavi will get a house either inside or outside the scheme based on their eligibility status.

Srinivas said: “I would like to reiterate that the Dharavi redevelopment is the most inclusive project ever contemplated in SRA (Slum Rehabilitation Authority) history, where every resident is going to get a house. Not just that, all commercial units, whether eligible or ineligible, will get spaces inside Dharavi itself.”

Over 75 per cent of tenement holders have qualified for new homes under the redevelopment scheme, according to data released by the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) and the Maharashtra government.

The DRP has begun releasing the Draft Annexure-II in phases, and the balance tenement holders would get qualified on the basis of additional checks and documents sought.

The DRP has invited tenement holders to submit their suggestions or objections regarding the Draft Annexure-II. Submissions can be made to the DRP office or by email to dcca1drpsra@gmail.com. The deadline is July 5, 5.30 pm.

Out of a total of 505 tenements, 31 tenements are yet to submit any documents, 137 cases are pending verification by the BMC, which the DRP is pursuing, and balance 38 are amenity structures. Among the remaining 299 tenements, 229 have been found eligible for new homes under various criteria. The remaining 70 are in the process of submitting additional documents to validate their eligibility.

Srinivas further stated that commercial units that are eligible will, in any case, get free in-situ spaces inside Dharavi. In fact, a proposal has been made to the government to accommodate ineligible commercial units as well, on a rental basis, inside Dharavi.

“The 10 per cent commercial space reserved in every society can be given on a rental basis to ineligible commercial units so that they can sustain their livelihoods in Dharavi itself. We have already made this proposal,” Srinivas said.

As per the Annexure-II data, 170 ground-floor tenements, including residential, commercial and residential/commercial, have all met the eligibility criteria and are entitled to new homes either within or outside Dharavi. Of these, 157 tenements came into existence before January 1, 2000, and are entitled to 350 sq ft homes within Dharavi. The remaining 13 are considered ‘Shashulk Eligible’, meaning they are entitled to 300 sq ft homes outside Dharavi at a subsidised cost of Rs 2.5 lakh, having settled in Dharavi before January 1, 2011.

In a significant step, the inclusion of upper-floor tenement holders, typically disqualified under all other slum rehabilitation schemes, is being included as part of the present government and the DRP’s promise for inclusivity. As per the data, 59 upper-floor tenements have qualified for new homes under the DRP’s unique ‘hire-purchase’ scheme.

These residents will receive 300 sq ft homes on rent for 12 years, after which they will become legal owners. They may also choose to buy the home outright at a government-decided rate at any time during the 12-year period.

Typically, under other SRA schemes, those who settle in the ground floor after 2011 are excluded from redevelopment benefits, and all upper-floor residents face outright eviction. However, the DRP has ensured that all such residents are also provided with new and modern homes outside Dharavi but within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). These colonies will be modern and will be maintained free of cost for 10 years, Srinivasan added.

–IANS

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