Congress leader Arif Naseem Khan writes Devendra Fadnavis over slum rehab

Devendra Fadnavis

Senior Congress leader Arif Naseem Khan has written to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding that slum dwellers living alongside the Tansa main water pipeline in Vidyavihar be accommodated in new tenements along with those slum-dwellers who will be displaced from airport land in suburban Kurla.

"I represent Kranti Nagar, Sandesh Nagar, Bail Bazar, Vijay Nagar, Sahyog Nagar, Indira Nagar, Jari-Mari areas and the people living in these areas are to rehabilitated in the 17,500 flats built by the HDIL in Premier Kamani compound at Kurla. But according to a survey, only 12,000 airport project affected person are there who would be accommodated into these (tenements). "Therefore, I request you to keep 12000 flats reserved for the people affected by airport project while rest 5,500 flats be allotted to the slum dwellers of the water pipeline. This would not cause inconvenience to anyone," stated a letter written by Khan, who represents Chandivali assembly seat, dated May 9.

Around 17,000 tenements have been constructed by the real estate developer HDIL in Kurla, in which the slum-dwellers currently occupying the land required for
aeronautical activities and airport beautification, would be shifted. The former minister also sent the copies of his letter to state housing minister Prakash Mehta, state chief secretary, MMRDA commissioner and BMC commissioner. As per an estimate, there are some 35,000 illegal structures located over and around the pipelines across the city and the issue of there removal and rehabilitation is being heard in the Bombay high court.

Slum dwellers residing near airport land in Kurla, and those living alongside the Tansa main water pipeline in suburban Vidyavihar are locked in a tussle over tenements to be provided to PAPs at HDIL Premier compound at Kamani, Kurla. Khan wants his voters to get rehabilitated at the same site in Kurla.