Mumbai: Around 18,000 slum households on forest land at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) will be rehabilitated in the adjoining Thane district. According to sources, at a meeting in Mantralaya Tuesday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis directed that SGNP slum dwellers be rehabilitated on land parcels in Thane district, which is closest to Mumbai.
Both the city and suburban collectors expressed their inability to provide land for rehabilitation though.
Meanwhile, sources further said Fadnavis ruled out Palghar district, saying it was too far and wanted the rehabilitation to be done closer to Mumbai.
While earlier govt had earmarked 90 acres in Aarey Colony for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers as well as Aarey and SGNP tribals, the zonal masterplan for SGNP is yet to be prepared, though the eco-sensitive zone around the park was finalised in 2016. Further, there is a Bombay High Court stay on slum rehabilitation schemes in Aarey Colony. Sources said the slum dwellers are likely to be rehabilitated either in Murbad or Bhayander in Thane district.
The meeting was also attended by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, who is the housing minister as well as the guardian minister for Thane.
In 1997, Bombay High Court had ordered the relocation of 33,000 slum households whose names were in the electoral rolls of Jan 1, 1995. The slum dwellers were directed to pay Rs 7,000 for the relocation. The govt had then identified grazing land in Kalyan for the rehabilitation, which was strongly opposed both by the slum dwellers and the local residents. By 2002, the govt approved 85 acres in Chandivali for the rehabilitation, which was to be done in two phases. Around 12,000 households were rehabilitated in Phase I; the rehabilitation of 11,000 balance encroachers in the second phase never took off.
On Jan 15, the high court once again directed the state govt to find alternate sites for rehabilitation and relocate the slum dwellers. Following the court orders, the SGNP officials issued fresh notices for hearing to another 7,000 slum dwellers from Dahisar to Malad to provide documents such as payment receipt for Rs 7,000, election ID cards, and electricity bills to establish their eligibility for free housing.
The govt is pushing for the implementation of Housing for All under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, even encouraging rental housing for those ineligible for free housing, which after 10 years would be offered on an ownership basis.