Maharashtra's housing minister Jitendra Ahwad said that the redevelopment of Kamathipura will be initiated in the next three months. The project will be called ‘Urban Village: Kamathipura township'. The 39-acre area which was once a known red-light area in Mumbai. There are about 8500 houses and each will get a 500-square foot house.
The area has 16 lanes with 500 buildings in which there are 3858 rooms and 778 shops. “People have been staying in this area since 1961. Around 8000 families will get a new house. Both the existing landlords and tenants will get new homes. We have 100% consent from the residents and the work will start soon,” Ahwad said.
The Maharashtra government has also announced that 300 flats will be given to MLAs in Goregaon, Mumbai. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray took a dig at the centre, saying that we are completing projects that are with us. On the Dharavi redevelopment project, he said the progress is slow. “Dharavi land belongs to railways. We have given Rs 800 crore but yet to get possession of the land," Thackeray said.
Ahwad said that the first project in the state will be set up at Nevasa near Ahmednagar by implementing the concept of MHADA in talukas and villages. He was responding to a two-day discussion on redevelopment of dilapidated buildings in Mumbai, slum redevelopment, problems in various MHADA settlements.
The slum redevelopment scheme has approved 91 new initiatives in the last 20 months, redevelopment of BDD plots has started and will be completed in the next six to seven years.
The state government has also decided to change the names of four areas.
“Worli of BDD chawl will be renamed as Balasaheb Thackeray Nagar, Naigaon chawl will be named as Sharad Pawar Nagar and Rajiv Gandhi Nagar for housing scheme N M Joshi Marg. Patra Chaal will henceforth be known as Siddharth Nagar,” Ahwad said.
Awhad announced that a 19-storey building at Jijamata Nagar is being planned as a hostel for outstation students. A veterinary hospital will be built near Lilavati Hospital in Bandra.
The minister said that a housing scheme for the elderly is being planned on 20 acres of land in Palghar.
