Dharavi Redevelopment Project: Maharashtra government begins outreach to upper-floor tenement residents
The Maharashtra government says fears of people being forced to give affidavits were misplaced.
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The units will be priced nominally and can be paid for in instalments over 12 years. (Express archive photo)The Maharashtra government has started involving upper-floor tenement residents – those considered ineligible for rehabilitation – in the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), providing them with an opportunity for homeownership in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
Upper floors in slum buildings have traditionally been considered illegal under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) guidelines. But a government resolution (GR) passed on October 4, 2024, has brought upper-floor residents in Dharavi within the ambit of rehabilitation, as long as they have been living there since November 15, 2022.
These occupants are eligible for 300 sq ft houses outside Dharavi but within MMR under a hire-purchase agreement. The units will be priced nominally and can be paid for in instalments over 12 years. An option of making a lump-sum payment has also been provided.
“It’s a first of its kind drive in SRA history… Recent fears that there were attempts to force people to give affidavits… were misplaced,” said Dharavi Redevelopment Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), NMDPL, spokesperson. “Affidavits are being procured strictly in accordance with the GR, and affidavits are just one among several documents being accepted to document occupation,” the spokesperson added.
Acceptable proofs include electricity bills, registered rent or sale agreements, Aadhaar cards, ration cards, passports with floor details, or affidavits verified by the ground-floor residents.
This clarification comes amid growing concerns among Dharavi residents that some ground-floor residents were being coerced into signing affidavits to disqualify upper-floor residents.
Meanwhile, the survey work under DRP has gained momentum. Almost one lakh buildings in Dharavi have been physically surveyed, and more than 94,500 have been given unique IDs. Around 88,000 buildings have been scanned digitally through LiDAR technology, and household surveys of almost 70,000 tenements have been completed.
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