BMC holds gun to slum dwellers’ choice

In yet another attempt at achieving its objective of fast-forwarding slum rehabilitation, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will now resort to force to get hutment residents to shift into transit camps.

The Development Control Regulations (DCR) of Development Plan 2034 (DP) has given the tenants a deadline of 15 days to accept the alternate accommodation offered to them while their huts undergo redevelopment.

If residents refuse to accept the alternate accommodation, or act to negotiate its allocation beyond the 15 days’ notice period, the SRA will be able to demolish their houses without any further notice.

Moreover, following the demolition of their present homes, these residents will not be eligible for the transit homes that were allotted to them earlier. The displaced families will have to wait for their turn while homes are allotted to other tenants. Also, the displaced families will then have to make do with whatever is left after other families have chosen their apartments. These may not even be in the area close to their original habitation.

If tenants do not join till the building permission to the project is given, they will completely lose the right to any built-up tenement, and their tenement shall be taken over by the SRA.

However, the BMC has expressed helplessness in getting this provision revoked. Commenting on this, Ramanath Jha, officer of special deputation for the DP said, “We have just taken the provision as suggested by the SRA. We did not make any changes to it. We do not have the authority to make the changes.”

Mr Jha explained that SRA insisted on the provision because it noticed that one project gets held up due to resistance from a single family, even as all other participants are willing to relocate to transit camps. To nullify that possibility, the SRA asked the civic body to place a cap of 15 days.