Mumbai: More than 150 people participated in the city’s first ‘Janta Durbar’ or people’s forum on issues related to the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) in Borivali on Sunday, raising complaints about delay in allotment of rehabilitation flats, unpaid rent for transit housing, problems with biometric verification, and eligibility disputes.
Around 20 senior officials from the SRA including secretary Dattu Navale addressed their concerns on the spot, whereas union minister for commerce and industry and north Mumbai MP Piyush Goyal, the organiser of the forum, urged SRA officials to take strong deterrent action against developers who defaulted on rents and delayed or stalled SRA projects.
The session, held at the Atal Smruti Udyan in Shimpoli, Borivali West, was an attempt to bring the government to citizens’ doorsteps, Goyal said.
Among the participants, 13 managed to get their proposals for homes for project affected people (PAP) cleared, while five others had their PAP proposals streamlined.
Speaking on the occasion, Goyal urged SRA officials to blacklist developers who delayed projects or payment of transit rent, and sensitively handle slum redevelopment projects.
“I want all residents of chawls, slums and even those residing on footpaths to be rehabilitated in pucca houses equipped with toilets and drinking water taps. Rehabilitation housing in North Mumbai should be prioritised solely for local residents and not be allotted for those outside the constituency,” the union minister said.
Goyal said that while pedestrians had rights and those staying on footpaths could not be rehabilitated there itself, they should be rehabilitated within the same assembly constituency. All valid original residents would get rehabilitation housing, he assured, and urged citizens to choose builders with sound financial standing, stay united and beware of developers who made false promises.
Similar forums would be organised in future on other issues and involving other government departments, Goyal said.
