A year after groundbreaking ceremony, BMC’s move to build residential quarters for sanitation workers in limbo

However, the civic authorities maintain that the initial lease agreement was formulated as per the BMC’s Development Plan (DP) 1991 that would allow the usage of only 878.23 sq m area of the plot for building housing tenements.

“At present, the contract period of the old lease and license agreement is over. Therefore, we have proposed the MBPT to formulate a new agreement as per the DP 2034 regulations that would allow us to use 1,804 sq m area of the plot, which will allow us to build more flats for the beneficiaries,” an official said. The BMC’s record shows that on October 7, a letter was issued by the Deputy Municipal Commissioner’s (DMC) office urging the port authorities to expedite the process of handing over the plot.

“As all conservancy staffers and existing occupants need to be rehabilitated in the same place, the proposed 1,804 sq m built up area is needed for the development project,” the letter stated.

In another letter to the port authorities, the former municipal corporator from Colaba – Makarand Narwekar has asked the authorities to expedite the process. “Conservancy workers are also part of the broader MBPT sanitation work force, for whom a redevelopment tender was proposed in 2024 to provide new housing facilities. The project is to develop this plot under the Ashray Yojana scheme of BMC, so please treat this issue as urgent,” Narwekar’s letter stated.

Meanwhile, a port trust official told The Indian Express that at present the lease agreement is being reviewed and DP 2034 norms are being studied.

“After construction works are ready, the BMC will conduct a lottery and based on that houses will be allotted to these workers. All the beneficiaries belong to Lower Income Groups (LIG) and the civic body’s rule mandates giving them housing units throughout the period of their service,” said Kiran Dighavkar, DMC (Sold Waste Management).