Now Reading: No policy for R&R colonies 25 years on, says YUVA report
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No policy for R&R colonies 25 years on, says YUVA report
Twenty-five years after rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) colonies were built in Mumbai for project-affected persons, a report by non-profit YUVA says living conditions are deplorable and no policy exists for redeveloping structurally…
Twenty-five years after rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) colonies were built in Mumbai for project-affected persons, a report by non-profit YUVA says living conditions are deplorable and no policy exists for redeveloping structurally unstable buildings. The report surveyed 38 cooperative housing societies across 53 buildings in the city.
Residents were relocated to make way for infrastructure projects by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The report states that the policy framework is a "patchwork" with no clear division of responsibilities, leaving housing societies and federations to manage maintenance with limited funds. Many buildings built in the early 2000s are nearing the end of their life and some have been declared unsafe.
The report recommends amendments to the Maharashtra Slum Act to formally recognise societies and federations in R&R governance and to clearly define their roles, powers, and funding sources. Former MMRDA official Vishram Patil said poor construction quality and expired defect liability periods have forced families to live in horrible conditions, and a long-term redevelopment scheme is needed.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The report exposes a governance gap that affects thousands of families displaced for major Mumbai infrastructure projects. Under the current framework, once families are handed flats, state agencies treat their responsibility as over, leaving maintenance to cash-strapped societies that lack legal title to the land. The absence of a redevelopment policy is particularly acute because R&R colonies are often on prime land, making them attractive for redevelopment but legally frozen. The Maharashtra Slum Rehabilitation Authority, which oversees most slum redevelopment in the state, does not have a parallel mechanism for R&R colonies. The next step is whether the state government will accept the report's recommendation to amend the Maharashtra Slum Act and create a dedicated fund for these colonies.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
