The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is looking to come up with a policy to redevelop housing blocks that came up around two decades back for the urban poor. The residents of these housing schemes will be rehabilitated at the same location after redevelopment at the existing site.
VMC had constructed housing blocks for the economic weaker sections of the society under various schemes in the Tandalja, Tarsali, Navi Dharti, Bavchawad, Jetalpur Road and other areas over the years. For the want of maintenance, many of these residential blocks were in a dilapidated state.
The civic body is now looking to redevelop these housing blocks under the Redevelopment of Public Housing Scheme of 2016. The state government has laid down guidelines under the scheme for redevelopment of housing blocks.
Under the scheme, the housing blocks are razed and new houses are constructed at the same site. The owners including the original beneficiaries as well as those who bought the houses from such beneficiaries are allocated houses in the scheme if they are eligible. Those staying on rent in such houses are given priority provided they satisfy other criteria. The additional houses constructed at the site can be sold to other eligible persons.
The first project that VMC proposes to take up for redevelopment is the Nilgiri Flats on the Sun Pharma Road. The possession of the houses here was given in 2003-04. The site has 240 houses in 15 blocks. The blocks are in a rundown condition and notices have been issued to residents there repeatedly asking them to vacate it.
The residents of Nilgiri Flats had approached the civic body seeking houses elsewhere. If the redevelopment plan is cleared by the elected wing the residents will be given new houses in fresh construction at the same site. After they vacate the houses, they will be given an allowance as rent till they get possession of the new houses. The proposal will be taken up for discussion by the standing committee this week.
