Slum Cluster Redevelopment to be implemented on plots over 50 acres in Mumbai: Eknath Shinde

Nagpur, Dec 13 (IANS) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Development and Housing Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday announced that Slum Cluster Redevelopment will be implemented on plots larger than 50 acres in Mumbai, with 17 project sites selected in the first phase of the scheme. 

He said the initiative marks a major step towards achieving the goal of a slum-free Mumbai.

In a statement made in the Legislative Council, DCM Shinde said that the slum redevelopment scheme will now be implemented in a cluster format on private, government and semi-government land parcels measuring 50 acres or more.

Under the first phase of the scheme, 17 major locations across Mumbai have been identified. These include Antop Hill, Krishna Nagar and Ketkipada in Borivali, Gopikrishna Nagar in Dahisar, Oshiwara, Govandi, Chita Camp in Trombay, Chembur, Tagore Nagar in Vikhroli, Vikhroli Parksite and Bhandup, among others.

Shinde said the State Cabinet approved the ambitious Slum Cluster Redevelopment scheme on October 7, 2025, following which a Government Resolution (GR) was issued on November 13, 2025, laying down the framework for its implementation.

He informed that the identified projects will be executed on a joint venture basis with the support of government agencies such as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The Deputy Chief Minister added that additional projects will be taken up in the second phase of the scheme as part of the government’s broader strategy to accelerate large-scale slum redevelopment across the city.

Further, DCM Shinde announced an extension of the Abhay Yojana for slum rehabilitation schemes till December 31, 2026. Explaining the rationale, he said the scheme is meant to provide relief to citizens who have been facing technical difficulties in buying and selling slum structures.

“Many slum dwellers had purchased, sold or transferred their huts. However, as per the existing rules, there was no provision to include the names of these new occupants in the ‘Final Appendix-II’, which is the list of eligible slum dwellers. This created a fear that thousands of poor families would be deprived of their right to a permanent home. To address this concern, the extension has been granted till December 31, 2026,” Shinde said.

Additionally, the Deputy Chief Minister announced a one-year extension of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority’s ongoing amnesty scheme related to Occupancy Certificates (OCs).

He also announced an increase in the number of Apex Grievance Redressal Committees (AGRCs), which are responsible for resolving complaints related to slum redevelopment projects. Shinde said that at present, 2,103 cases are pending before these committees, and the government has decided to increase their number to ensure faster disposal of grievances.

The Deputy Chief Minister further said that directions have been issued to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to introduce a new scheme for houses constructed by BMC employees on plots leased from the municipal corporation.

--IANS

sj/pgh