Why parties are pitching for affordable homes, redevelopment of old buildings

Affordable housing has traditionally been one of the biggest issues in Mumbai that has, over decades, led to haphazard expansion of slums across the city. While slum redevelopment remains a key challenge for the government and authorities, there are also the challenges of redevelopment of dilapidated, old and pagdi buildings and rehabilitation of project affected people (PAP). There are also issues of height restrictions in parts of Juhu and Dahisar due to transmission towers and then there are objections from koliwadas, gaothans and adivasis padas to be categorised as slums when it comes to their redevelopment.

Considering the magnitude of the issue, both Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS and Congress have acknowledged affordable housing in their manifestos.

The Thackeray faction has promised a housing authority under the BMC to make available one lakh affordable homes in the next five years. Opposing the state government’s hold over the Greater Mumbai region, the party has threatened to make BMC the sole developmental authority of the region.

“Instead of handing over land owned by the municipal corporation to private developers, we will provide housing to government, municipal, BEST and police staff, as well as mill workers, who serve the people of Mumbai,” said their manifesto.

The manifesto also mentions koliwadas, gaothans and adivasi padas, objecting to their classification as slums, and instead offering a “community-based self redevelopment policy”. Through this, the original residents of the city will not only get land rights for their homes, but also for their livelihood and environment.

Congress manifesto too echoes this long-standing demand of theirs, with a separate development policy for them.

“All of this is political jumla,” said Devendra Tandel, president of the Akhil Maharashtra Machimaar Kriti Samiti, refusing to buy the promises.

“The issue of the redevelopment of our hamlets — which is very much needed — rests largely with the state government, beginning with the demarcation of our areas. Our contention with the BMC is regarding the permitted height of our homes, which should be extended up to 30 feet in line with CRZ rules, as well as the paltry Rs 25 crore they’ve marked in the budget for 94 koliwadas. Redevelopment of our fish markets by the BMC is also an issue. This time, instead of supporting a party, we have decided to support koli candidates,” said Tandel.

Other provisions in the Congress manifesto include promising higher FSI to redevelop old and pagdi buildings, allowing cluster redevelopment on a minimum built up area of 3,000 sqm instead of 4,000 sqm, and offering Marathi families homes in planned housing in the city.

In these housing issues, however, it would seem the Mahayuti has the upper hand, thanks to its seat of power in the state government. Just before the announcement of the elections, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced a regulatory framework to solve the disputes between tenants and landlords to make way for the redevelopment of pre-1960s pagdi buildings — there are approximately 19,000 of them. Alongside, he announced a regularisation scheme for the 20,000 buildings lacking an occupation certificate.

“In the past 11 years, our government has brought in revolutionary changes in housing matters. We have cleared up several legal and technical issues that have stalled slum redevelopment for decades, and fast tracked them,” said Ameet Satam, the BJP party president in Mumbai, adding the ongoing redevelopment of the BDD chawls and Dharavi in their list of accomplishments.

“The process to relocate the transmission and receiving towers in Juhu and Dahisar is ongoing. Redevelopment of several MHADA buildings is underway, with the processes for many ongoing, and redevelopment of housing societies has been made easier,” Satam said.

Tenants of pagdi buildings, many of them desperate to have their buildings redeveloped, have been receptive to the government’s promise. “The Dy CM’s words are promising, but we hope it is not just a part of election promises that will gather dust after the polls are done,” said Mukesh Pendse, president of the Pagdi Ekta Sangh.