MUMBAI: Municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, in a letter dated Nov 28, 2024 sent to the principal secretary of the urban development department (UDD), reiterated the request to appoint BMC as the planning authority for slum redevelopment on BMC-owned lands.
A copy of the letter, which is with TOI, states: “The UDD is once again requested to issue appropriate directions to appoint the BMC as the planning authority for the redevelopment of slums on BMC lands under 64 specific schemes, as well as for all other slum rehabilitation projects on BMC lands, except ongoing SR schemes managed by the SRA. Necessary amendments may be made to the MRTP Act, MMC Act, Slum Act, and DCPR 2034 to facilitate this.”
The letter has also been marked to the additional chief secretary of the housing department.
Gagrani’s communication refers to an earlier letter requesting UDD’s directives for appointing the BMC as a Special Planning Authority for slum redevelopment under the aforementioned 64 schemes and other slum rehabilitation projects.
Additionally, the letter references a govt resolution (GR) issued by the Housing Department, which sanctioned the implementation of pending or stalled SR schemes in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region through joint ventures between various authorities—such as BMC, MHADA, and CIDCO—and the SRA.
“It appears that this notification was issued by the Housing Department without considering the BMC’s letter dated July 5, 2024, or consulting the UDD. Therefore, as stated in the earlier correspondence, it would be more appropriate to appoint the BMC as the planning authority for slum redevelopment on BMC lands, rather than pursuing joint ventures with the SRA as per the govt resolution dated Sept 6, 2024,” the letter states.
