Pre-2000 slum dwellers to get state assistance

The Maharashtra government has set course for continuing the demolition of illegal slums set up after 2000 in Mumbai, while offering assistance in kind to the 13 lakh odd dwellers of illegal slums set up after 1995 but before 2000.

These pre-2000 illegal slum dwellers would be helped to set up house outside Mumbai.

A senior secretariat official said: "The demolition drive is on course. The first sweep saw a large number of post-1995 slums being demolished. These not only included around 9,000 pre-1995 slums, but also close to 10,000 slums that were constructed prior to 2,000. While the former will be rehabilitated in Mumbai city with free housing, the latter as well as still existing pre-2000 slum tenements would be provided plots measuring 150 to 225 square feet each outside the city."

According to the official, Taloja in Thane district and Shindoli, where the state government owns large tracts of vacant land, have been identified for rehousing the illegal slum tenements that came up in Mumbai after the cut-off date of May 1, 1995, but before 2000.

Providing free houses to the pre-2000 slums has been rejected as an option by the state government that has submitted an affidavit before the Mumbai High Court last year, committing on record that it would not legalise any post-1995 illegal slums in the city.

Moreover, even the law enacted by the state government stipulates that while pre-1995 slums would be protected (read given free houses under the city's redevelopment plan using the Slum Redevelopment Authority initiated scheme), a cognizable offence would be registered against those erecting slums after 1995 in Mumbai.

According to statistics, 13 lakh such illegal slums came into being in the city after the official cut-off date of 1995, and rehousing them all would not only be a violation of the state government commitment made before the judiciary, but also at a cost of Rs 38,000 crore being needed as each free dwelling would cost in the range of Rs 3 lakh.

Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who met the Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday, reiterated that the demolition drive against post-2000 illegal slums would continue in Mumbai.

He added that the state government would be considerate and help even those illegal slums that came up after 1995 but before 2000.