Separate SRA for civic bodies in MM region

In yet another move to push the rehabilitation of slums and thereby help revive the cash-strapped real estate sector, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday decided to set up an independent Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) for eight municipal corporations and seven municipalities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). This will exclude the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation area. The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Slum Rehabilitation Authority (MMRSRA) will be headquartered at Thane. It will be headed by an IAS officer. The government has made a financial provision of Rs 200 crore for this authority.

The eight municipal corporations in the MMR (including CIDCO and Naina Region) are those of Thane, Panvel, KalyanDombivli, BhiwandiNizampur, Vasai-Virar, Mira-Bhayandar, Ulhasnagar, Ambarnath and Badlapur while the seven municipalities / municipal councils, include Alibaug, Pen, Khopoli, Matheran and Karjat.

The cabinet, accepted in principle the recommendations made by a study group for a single slum rehabilitation authority (excluding the BMC area) for the Mumbai Metropolitan Area. Similarly, an independent study group has been appointed under the chairmanship of principal secretary (housing), to implement a slum rehabilitation scheme for slumdwellers in other major cities of the state.