Under Annexure 2 of Slum Rehabilitation, amnesty scheme will be introduced by Maha govt: Atul Save

Mumbai: Maharashtra Housing Minister Atul Save on Tuesday announced in the Assembly that the government will come up with an amnesty scheme to ensure that names of new owners buying huts from existing dwellers get registered in Annexure 2 of Slum Rehabilitation.

He said that a high-level meeting will be convened in this regard when the House is in session.

Annexure II comprises a list of eligible and ineligible slum dwellers.

According to the existing practice, the names of the new owners would not get registered in Annexure 2, thus leading to major confusion in various Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) projects across the city. But now, this will be resolved.

Minister Save was replying to a question raised by BJP legislator Ashish Shelar during a calling attention motion.

Shelar brought to the minister’s notice that many slum rehabilitation projects by SRA have been stalled for over two decades in Mumbai.

“After the promulgation of Annexure 2, there was no provision to accept transfer of hutments in the name of the new owner. Even in case of death of a slum dweller, the heirs had to apply to the SRA for an inheritance certificate.

“After the Annexure 2 is promulgated by a competent authority, transfers are not accepted because it is made after taking into consideration all the objections and suggestions and even the competent authority does not have the right to alter it.

“Many schemes in Mumbai have been stalled for more than 20 to 25 years. Many people had to sell their hutments for personal reasons but the hutments have not got registered in the names of the new owners,’’ he said.

Shelar questioned that if the hutment could be sold before finalising Annexure 2 and it can also be sold after completion of the scheme, why can it not be sold when the work is in progress.

“What is the fault of the slum dweller if the project gets delayed,” he questioned and demanded that the government change this rule.

Other legislators Atul Bhatkhalkar, Amit Satam, Yogesh Sagar, Tamil Selvan and Ram also participated in the discussion.

Minister Save assured the House that the government would look into the matter positively.

“Very soon, a high-level meeting under the leadership of chief minister and deputy chief ministers will be convened and a decision will be arrived at, thus providing a major relief to the slum dwellers in Mumbai,” the minister said.