Maharashtra Housing Minister Jitendra Ahwad has announced that the redevelopment of Kamathipura, considered to be the oldest part of Mumbai, will begin in the next three months. The project — Urban Village: Kamathipura Township — will cover the 39-acre area that was once a red-light area. The area returned to the spotlight following the release of Alia Bhatt-starrer Gangubai Kathiawadi.
Reports suggest that 8,000 families would get a new house, including existing landlords and tenants, in the redeveloped area. Ahwad said the government had 100% residents’ consent and the work would begin soon. The minister was responding to a two-day discussion on slum redevelopment and other problems in Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority settlements.
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he state government will provide 300 apartments in suburban Goregaon for rural MLAs, Awhad announced. He said legislators who did not have a house in Mumbai, did not represent any city constituency, and hailed from outside the Mumbai Metropolitan Region would be eligible for the scheme.
The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority will construct the complex, which would include High Income Group-category apartments.
The Worli tenements will be named Swargiya Balasaheb Thackeray Nagar, while those in Naigaon will be called Sharadchandraji Pawar Nagar. The tenements along NM Joshi Marg will be named Swargiya Rajiv Gandhi Nagar.
In a related development, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray slammed the Centre for delays in the proposed development of Dharavi as the Indian Railways was yet to hand over land to the state.
The country’s largest slum, Dharavi is located in central Mumbai and covers 2.1 sq km. it is home to six lakh people.
“Dharavi has to be developed. But its development cannot take place because, unfortunately, we are in talks with the Centre about the railway land. Around Rs 800 crore have been given, I have spoken to the Railway Minister two-three times. But that land has not been transferred to us yet,” Press Trust of India quoted Thackeray said in the Assembly.
He also praised Awhad, Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat for initiatives to ensure settlements for working-class people.
The government has also introduced an amnesty scheme for people yet to get possession of their flats due to stalled rehabilitation projects. It has expedited the pending Patrachawl and BDD chawl redevelopment projects. The government is also constructing houses for sanitation workers.