Mumbai, Jan 21 (IANS) In a significant move to improve living conditions of the city’s police force, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday appointed senior IAS officer Iqbal Singh Chahal as Chairman of the Mumbai Police Housing Township Project.

The appointment, announced through an official notification dated January 21, 2026, will take effect on February 1, 2026, immediately after Chahal’s retirement from active service on January 31.

Chahal was one of the frontrunners for the post of state chief secretary but missed the opportunity following the appointment of Rajesh Agarwal.

The Mumbai Police Housing Township Project is an ambitious initiative aimed at constructing nearly 45,000 residential units for police personnel and their families. With an estimated cost of Rs 20,000 crore, the project is designed to address a chronic shortage of affordable and quality housing for the force. The state Cabinet at its meeting last Saturday cleared the project.

According to the notification, Chahal’s tenure as Chairman will be for five years. His rank and status will be equivalent to that of a Minister of State. The Chairman will function under the direct administrative control of the Chief Minister through the Home Department.

He will receive a consolidated monthly honorarium calculated as his ‘last pay drawn minus the pension amount’, along with allowances applicable to an Additional Chief Secretary-grade officer.

The township project seeks to modernise living conditions of the Mumbai Police, many of whom currently reside in dilapidated British-era quarters. The project involves development of around 50 million square feet of land.

The plan includes 40,000 homes for constabulary personnel and 5,000 for sub-inspectors and senior officers. The state will provide 30 per cent of the funds, with the remaining 70 per cent raised through institutional loans.

The government noted that the project involves complex large-scale planning, land acquisition and coordination with multiple agencies, necessitating a leader with Chahal’s “impeccable record of public service spanning over 36 years.”

Chahal, a 1989-batch IAS officer currently serving as Additional Chief Secretary (Home), was selected for his “proven administrative competence” and “extensive experience in project management.” He is widely recognised for his leadership as the BMC Commissioner during the Covid-19 pandemic, where his “Mumbai Model” earned international acclaim, the notification said.

–IANS

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