Maharashtra govt blamed for delaying slum dwellers' housing project

The central government yesterday blamed the Maharashtra government for delay in its programme to rehabilitate 41,000 slum dwellers on the salt pan land in the north-eastern part of the metropolis.

"The Centre was to lay the foundation stone for the project to rehabilitate slum-dwellers at the salt pan land at Kanjurmarg this month. But the project hit a roadblock after the Maharashtra government in an affidavit in the Supreme Court stated that the same land would be used as dumping ground," Union minister of state for urban development Bandaru Dattatreya told reporters here.

The Centre was to rehabilitate the slum dwellers, who had encroached upon its establishments like airport, railways and ONGC at Kanjurmarg, he said and added that because of the state government's "unfortunate decision" the project now stands still.

The state government in the apex court, which was hearing a public interest litigation, had stated that it would use the salt pan land at Kanjurmarg as dumping ground.

The state government did not take into confidence the Centre while filing the affidavit, Dattatreya said.

However, the Maharashtra chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde had telephoned him stating that the state in a fresh affidavit would suggest another piece of land for dumping ground, the Union minister said.

In this connection, the officials of the Union urban development ministry are in touch with the officials of the state government, he added.

Meanwhile, in an effort to provide security to over two crore vendors across the country, the Centre was mulling over a proposal to come out with a national street vendors policy.

"To give due recognition to street vendors and put an end to harassment by various agencies, the Centre will bring out a policy for urban street vendors," minister of state for urban development Bandaru Dattetreya said.

Stressing the need for such a policy, the minister said unfortunately the rights of vendors are not recognised and they are harassed by policemen, local self government bodies and middlemen, he said.

The government plans to give their due recognition to vendors, who are an integral part of urban economy and provide essential services to consumers, Dattatreya said.

As part of the policy, vendors would be provided with identity cards and the government would earmark hawking and non-hawking zones, he added.

In an effort to make available micro-finance for them, the government would ask nationalised and co-operative banks to provide assistance to them, the minister said.

Dattetreya said even the prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is keen to provide support to street vendors and hopes that the policy would seek to end harassment like licensing and restrictive provisions in various acts.