Mumbai: BJP MLA from Colaba Raj Purohit today demanded that the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) should take over 6,000 to 7,000 odd dilapidated buildings in south Mumbai for redevelopment.
Purohit today petitioned state Housing Minister Prakash Mehta over the demand.
Speaking to reporters at the Mantralaya, the legislator said that of the 14,000 odd dilapidated buildings, 6,000 to 7,000 odd cessed (private buildings, which pay tax to MHADA) dilapidated buildings in south Mumbai need urgent reconstruction.
The BJPs chief whip in the Legislative Assembly said that MHADA should take over all these 7,000 buildings for redevelopment on the lines of Bombay Development Directorate (BDD) chawl project.
“Just like the residents of BDD chawls, that are entitled for 500 sq ft tenements, the tenants living in south Mumbai should also be eligible to get at least same area flats in the redeveloped buildings,” he said.
Justifying his demand, Purohit said, “If the state government can give Bangladeshi slum-dwellers, who were living on the footpaths of P DMello Road, concrete houses free of cost, then why cannot these tenants living in old dilapidated buildings get flats,” he questioned.
The government had set up an eight member committee of legislators from Mumbai to look into issues of delays in redevelopment of these old dilapidated buildings and other issues.
Purohit, who is also a member of the committee, said that the committee is expected to submit its report to the government within the next two months.
PTI