Grievance cells soon to address complaints from SRA schemes

Accordingly, the quasi-judicial cells would be set up along the lines of the high power committee that currently functions as the appellate authority in respect of all complaints in SRA schemes.

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“In Mumbai there would be two such cells under the secretaries for Housing and Urban Development respectively. The other three cells would be for Thane, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Nagpur, each under the concerned divisional commissioners,” said an official from the state housing ministry.

The functions of the cells would include settling SRA disputes with regards to eligibility criteria, delays and allegations of irregularities, fraud or impersonation.

It would also have the power to summon developers or government officials against whom the complaints are filed and also take action against them and, if required, even cancel the SRA scheme.

The present high power panel, headed by the housing secretary, came into being in 2007 following a Bombay High Court order.

The committee also includes senior officials from the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority, Chief Executive Officer of SRA and commissioners of BMC and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority.

Over the last 17 years, merely one lakh families have been rehabilitated under the SRA scheme as against the intended target of 8 lakh families that were to be move from slums to buildings within five years.

“The existing high power panel was set up through a government resolution. It is necessary to amend the act and include the provisions for grievance cell in it so as strengthen and expand its powers as also create additional cells to deal with the increasing number of complaints,” said the official.