Maha govt to order survey of Bandra slum pocket: Minister

The Maharashtra government will ask the state housing development body (MHADA) to conduct a survey of the Nargis Dutt Nagar slum in suburban Bandra to determine the exact number of slum-dwellers eligible for rehabilitation, the Legislative Council was told Monday.

In his reply, Minister of State for Urban Development Ranjit Patil stated that a total of 49,000 small and big fires had been reported in the last ten years in the slum, of which over 33,000 fires were caused due to short-circuits.

The minister was replying to a calling attention notice moved by Hemant Takle (Nationalist Congress Party) and others.

As per the police reports, there are no illegal Bangladeshi immigrants staying in the slum, he stated.

"A survey will be conducted by the MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority) in the 1,600 slum dwellings of theNargis Dutt Nagar slums to find out how many of them are eligible for rehabilitation," he stated.

Replying to a query raised by Ashok alias Bhai Jagtap of the Congress, Patil said a probe will be ordered into the alleged illegalities going on in slums through alleged connivance among officials of the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation), police, MHADA and SRA (Slum Rehabilitation Authority).

"Orders will also be issued to the authorities to shut down any illegal small factories making plastic products in residential slums," the minister said.

Referring to rehabilitation of 217 slum-dwellers by the previous government, the minister said the incumbent NDA dispensation will determine how to settle eligible slum-dwellers on a plot of land near the Nargis Dutt Nagar slum under the low cost housing schemes of the government.

MLC Takle has sought an investigation by the state government into whether anti-social elements were involved in the October 30, 2018 fire that destroyed 80 shanties in Nargis Dutt Nagar.

In his reply, the minister stated that the fire had spread due to explosion of LPG cylinders and destroyed household items and electrical equipment.

As per the information provided by the BMC, the blaze was caused due to faulty electrical equipment, he informed.

Named after the legendary yesteryear Bollywood actress Nargis, the wife of actor (late) Sunil Dutt, the slum consists of 1,408 tiny shanties, as per rough estimates.

The slum has grown in size over years with many one-plus-one structures being constructed without permissions.

The plot at Nargis Dutt Nagar belongs to the MHADA while the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is the planing agency of the area.