Mumbai, July 2 (NationPress) The CEO of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, S.V.R. Srinivas, confirmed on Wednesday that all residents of Dharavi will receive housing either within or outside the redevelopment framework, contingent upon their eligibility.

Srinivas emphasized, "I want to stress that the Dharavi redevelopment is the most comprehensive initiative ever proposed in the history of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), ensuring that every resident will secure a home. Moreover, all commercial units, regardless of their eligibility status, will be provided spaces within Dharavi itself."

According to data shared by the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) and the Maharashtra government, over 75 percent of tenement holders qualify for new residences under the redevelopment plan.

The DRP has initiated the phased release of Draft Annexure-II, and remaining tenement holders will be evaluated based on additional documentation and checks.

Tenement holders are encouraged to share their feedback or concerns concerning Draft Annexure-II. Submissions can be made to the DRP office or emailed to dcca1drpsra@gmail.com. The cutoff date for submissions is July 5, 5:30 PM.

Out of 505 tenements, 31 have yet to provide any documents, while 137 cases are pending verification by the BMC, which the DRP continues to monitor. Additionally, 38 are classified as amenity structures. Among the remaining 299 tenements, 229 have been deemed eligible for new housing under various criteria, while 70 are in the process of submitting extra documents to confirm their eligibility.

Srinivas further mentioned that eligible commercial units will receive free in-situ spaces within Dharavi. Furthermore, a proposal has been submitted to the government to offer rental spaces to ineligible commercial units within Dharavi.

"The 10 percent allocated commercial space in each society can be rented out to ineligible commercial units, enabling them to maintain their businesses in Dharavi. We have already presented this proposal," Srinivas stated.

According to Annexure-II data, 170 ground-floor tenements, including residential, commercial, and mixed-use, have met the eligibility requirements and are entitled to new homes either inside or outside Dharavi. Out of these, 157 tenements were established before January 1, 2000, qualifying for 350 sq ft homes within Dharavi, while the remaining 13 are 'Shashulk Eligible', entitled to 300 sq ft homes outside Dharavi at a subsidized price of Rs 2.5 lakh, having settled in Dharavi prior to January 1, 2011.

Significantly, the inclusion of upper-floor tenement holders, who are usually excluded under other slum rehabilitation programs, is part of the current government and DRP’s commitment to inclusivity. Data indicates that 59 upper-floor tenements have qualified for new homes under the DRP’s innovative ‘hire-purchase’ scheme.

These residents will obtain 300 sq ft homes on rent for 12 years, after which they will gain legal ownership. They also have the option to purchase the home outright at a government-determined price anytime during the 12-year term.

Traditionally, under other SRA schemes, individuals settling on the ground floor after 2011 are left out of redevelopment benefits, and upper-floor residents are at risk of eviction. However, the DRP guarantees that all such residents will receive modern new homes outside Dharavi but within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). These communities will be contemporary and maintained at no cost for 10 years, Srinivas added.