Admitting that there is not enough progress on the state governments task of issuing a photo pass to pre-1995 slumdwellers,Minister of State for Housing Sachin Ahir on Wednesday promised to finish the identification of the remaining slumdwellers and issue photo pass to eligible families within the next six months. Of the 61,127 families distributed flats under the SRA scheme so far,only 16,727 hold the photo identity pass. It is true that work has progressed at a slow pace owing to a number of practical problems. We have realised that only one agency is not enough for creating these computerised photo passes and hence more agencies will be appointed. I assure that all eligible slumdwellers will have this photo pass within six months, he said. Under the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme,families that have their eligibility fixed through the annexure II should have a photo pass for the head of the family. Ahir said the slow progress is due to many reasons including delay in granting eligibility to slumdwellers by the collector. Since the photograph has to include all the family members,this causes delay in granting the pass as in many cases joint families have disintegrated. In an attempt to redevelop the slums and to provide benefits of the SRA schemes to eligible slumdwellers,the government introduced the system of photo passes that are issued by the collector. People who are living in the slums since before 1995 are entitled for a photo pass that is issued on the name of head of the family or any one member of the family. These passes not only enable eligible slumdwellers to reap the benefits of the SRA scheme but also give the holder the right to select a builder for the redevelopment of their area.
