BMC Standing committee approves the proposal of financial compensation to PAP
@nag228
Mumbai: The Standing Committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday approved the proposal of enhancing the financial compensation to the Project Affected People (PAPs). The proposal was approved with increasing the cap of financial compensation to Rs 50 lakh, which was earlier decided to be Rs 30 lakh.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opposed the proposal on grounds that it was meager. “Shiv Sena has ruled the BMC for 25 years and now its planning to throw out the Marathi Manoos from Mumbai. The BMC should give houses to project affected persons. Civic body is offering compensation based on the Ready Reckoner rates, not as per the current market rate. With this compensation, it will be impossible for them to buy a new house, we opposed the proposal but on the basis of majority the proposal was passed,” remarked Bhalchandra Shirsat, BJP corporator and Standing Committee member.
Due to various infrastructural projects slum dwellers have to be shifted to some other place, but due to the lack of space in the city the BMC had earlier decided to give Rs 30 lakh as financial compensation to the project affected people instead of shifting them to any other place. This proposal was brought in the standing committee meeting on Wednesday for approval.
During the discussion on the proposal, leader of the house Vishakha Raut proposed an increase in compensation for hutments. According to the proposal, if any slum is affected by infrastructure projects, then it was proposed to give Rs 17 lakh to Rs 30 lakh. For chawls or buildings (structures before 1964) the compensation will be based on the basis of the current Ready Reckoner rate.
“The BMC’s proposal provided that slum dwellers will be given a maximum Rs 30 lakh which is very less if we consider the market rates. It should be at least Rs 50 lakh,” Vishakha Raut said in the Standing Committee meeting. The proposal was passed with Raut’s suggestion.
As per the estimate prepared by the Estate Department considering all major infrastructure projects that are going to take place in future, the BMC requires 36,000 PAP housing units.
The Civic body at present has 3,828 housing units in Mahul; however, they cannot be used since the Supreme Court had stayed any relocation in the area due to pollution.
According to the BMC data, in the recent past 24,500 housing units have been allotted to projected affected.
Earlier, the corporation had called for suggestions and objections from citizens for making available PAP units.
