SRA-PMAY link to benefit lakhs of slum dwellers

Increased cover: As per the amendments, the State will replace 13.4 lakh slums with ‘pucca’ homes.

Increased cover: As per the amendments, the State will replace 13.4 lakh slums with ‘pucca’ homes.   | Photo Credit: File photo

Centre approves State’s proposal to amend housing law

The State government’s wish to bring the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) has been granted, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra told the government on Monday. Linking the two programmes is likely to benefit about 20 lakh slum dwellers in Mumbai alone.

Mr. Mishra held consultations with senior State government officials, and assessed the progress of the PMAY and the ease of doing business parameters for Maharashtra. Senior officials said the amendments to the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971, which promise to replace 13.4 lakh slums with ‘pucca’ homes, have been approved by the Centre. The Bill has also received presidential approval.

As per the amendments, slum dwellers who were ineligible till now will be included under the SRA and given homes under the PMAY. On April 9, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met senior officials in the Prime Minister’s Office to seek speedy approval of issues related to redevelopment of slums in Mumbai. The Centre had promised a decision within 10 days.

The Centre will also speed up provision of no objection certificates (NOC) from central agencies for the SRA to survey central government land, a senior bureaucrat said. The work has been dragging due to the lack of NOCs. The official said, “We are told the changes to the Slum Areas Act are through.”

The State has been pushing hard for changes to the Slum Areas Act and to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) for its Housing For All project. With the CRZ amended last week, pending redevelopment of 252 slums along the coastline is likely to get a boost and benefit 1.5 lakh people.

Last year, Mr. Fadnavis met Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, who had given in-principle approval to linking the two programmes.

“Once the SRA is brought under PMAY, the saleable stock of the former could be converted into affordable stock with the help of the subsidy from the latter,” Mr. Fadnavis had said.