State mulls body to monitor BDD chawls

The state government is mulling a monitoring body to supervise the work of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) during the redevelopment of BDD chawls.

“I think there is no harm in forming a monitoring body involving all stakeholders to monitor the work done by Mhada. The state will seriously think about it,” chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said when asked about forming a separate monitoring body.

This comes after protests by residents of the BDD chawls who have expressed doubts over the credibility of Mhada.

The residents of BDD chawls had demanded an independent body to be formed under the chairmanship of Mr Fadnavis citing lack of trust of developers who will be roped in by Mhada for redevelopment.

“We had indicated to the chief minister that a monitoring body should be formed under his chairmanship to monitor the work of Mhada or else the state should give us permission to redevelop the chawls ourselves,” said Laxamam Deshnere, a resident of BDD chawl.

The state cabinet on March 18, 2016 cleared the redevelopment of the 100-year-old BDD chawls located in Worli, NM Joshi Marg, Sewri and Naigaon; it is the second largest cluster development project in the city after Dharavi.

The state has plans to redevelop the chawls under a new set of development control regulation, which will be prepared by the Mhada.

The profits margin out of redevelopment will be shared between the government and Mhada at a ratio of 70:30, Ravindra Waikar, minister of state for housing had announced in the assembly a week ago.

Nearly 80,000 people live in 207 BDD chawls, according to government officials. The government has spent Rs 143.53 crore on the repairs of these chawls between 2007 and 2014. Now, the government has taken the decision to redevelop these chawls as they are beyond repairs.