Two lakh slum dwellers to be rehabilitated in 3 years: CM

The state government has said two lakh houses would be constructed in three years to rehabilitate slum dwellers.

Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has expressed confidence that those occupying the land earmarked for expansion of the road and railway network, drainage improvement scheme and expansion of the Mumbai airport would be rehabilitated.

He said rehabilitation was absolutely necessary to improve the city's infrastructure.

A committee, under the chairmanship of chief secretary, would be created to implement the rehabilitation of slum dwellers. The committee would facilitate the availability of land, creation of infrastructure for building houses and ensure time-bound implementation of the rehabilitation programme.

"At present, 1.25 crore people live in Mumbai and nearly 2 lakh people are added every year. To accommodate them, 40,000 houses are required every year but only 20,000 houses are built annually in the city," he added.