The Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Rahul Narwekar, on Thursday asked the state government to examine the possibility of accommodating tenants residing on the first floors of slum structures under Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) schemes, noting that ignoring them during the demolition of ground-floor units could lead to the creation of new shanty sprawls, defeating the government’s goal of a slum-free Mumbai.
Upper-level obstacle
Members of the Legislative Assembly said that unless the existing SRA policy is revised, the issue of upper floors in slum structures could become a hurdle in the redevelopment of several projects where many slum dwellings have additional floors constructed above the ground-floor units. The members demanded a change in housing policy to address this issue.
Rahul Narwekar, speaker, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. FILE PIC/SATEJ SHINDE
What is SRA?
Set up by the Maharashtra government in 1995, the SRA oversees the implementation of slum redevelopment projects. The scheme allows private developers to redevelop slum land by constructing buildings to rehabilitate eligible slum dwellers while using the remaining development potential of the land to build additional flats for sale. Under the model, developers provide free housing to slum residents and, in return, receive additional development rights that enable them to construct and sell extra apartments.
Eligibility issue
The SRA has struggled to address the issue of slum dwellers living on upper floors or mezzanine levels, as current rules do not recognise them as eligible for free housing under the rehabilitation scheme.
Govt non-committal
Replying to the query in the Assembly on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who holds the urban development and housing portfolio, minister Shambhuraj Desai said the issue would need to be discussed with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies (Shinde and Sunetra Pawar) before taking any decision. Desai said he would place the suggestion raised in the House before the chief minister and the deputy chief ministers, who would jointly examine what could be done.
Speaker’s point
Narwekar said that whenever ground-floor slum structures are demolished, it is natural that those residing in the unauthorised upper floors would move elsewhere and set up new slums. “Therefore, the government should explore what can be done to accommodate tenants residing on the upper floors of slum structures under SRA schemes,” he said.
Ambitious goal
About thirty years ago, the government set out to make Mumbai slum-free. A total of 2545 projects had been completed as of December 2025, rehabilitating 2,83,955 slum-dwelling families in permanent housing units. In neighbouring Thane, 51 projects have been completed, under which 7815 families living in slums have been rehabilitated into housing units.
