MMRDA, SRA Pass the Buck on Ramabai Nagar Redevelopment

Three months after former chief minister Eknath Shinde distributed rental cheques to residents of Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar and Kamgar Nagar, redevelopment of the two slum pockets along the Eastern Express Highway in Ghatkopar East is yet to take off.

- Ateeq Shaikh

MUMBAI:

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is executing the project jointly with the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), blamed the latter for the delay, saying they were yet to get possession of the 33.15-hectare plot. SRA officials said the matter was lying with a committee headed by chief secretary Sujata Saunik, who did not respond to requests for a comment from Hindustan Times.

The revamp of Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar and Kamgar Nagar is MMRDA's first foray into slum redevelopment. The project was assigned jointly to MMRDA and SRA in early 2024 as part of a larger plan to involve various government bodies in making Mumbai slum-free.

Residents of 16,575 tenements—roughly 85% of the population of the two slum pockets—were found eligible for rehabilitation in a survey conducted from March onwards.