Mumbai: Abu Azmi seeks rehab of residents displaced by Metro, Monorail projects

SP MLA Abu Azmi today demanded immediate rehabilitation of the people displaced by the construction of Metro and Monorail projects here.

MLAs cutting across party lines and other public representatives, including Azmi (Mankhurd), Capt Tamil Selvan (BJP-Sion Koliwada), Trupti Sawant (Shiv Sena-Bandra), were invited by Maharashtra Minister of State for Housing Ravindra Waikar to discuss various issued related to slum development.

SP leader Abu Azmi

"I took up the issue of inordinate delay in the rehabilitation of displaced project affected people and urged the minister to do the needful to give possession of flats constructed by the authorities for them," Azmi said.

"I handed over the memorandum to Waikar in this connection. I will raise the issue of government's apathy in the upcoming Assembly session," he said.

Changdev Wankhede, president of slum cell of Samajwadi Party alleged that due to callous approach of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and other agencies, thousands of affected people have become homeless.

"At least 561 hutments in various areas including, Ghatkopar and Andheri, had been removed for these projects and flats for their rehabilitation have been constructed at Nahur, Mankhurd and Kanjurmarg in the city years back. These displaced people did get the provisional letter. So far they have not been given the possession letters and keys for the flats by MMRDA," Wankhede, who is also the President of Railway Zopadpatti Punarvasan Samiti, said.

Selvan said that "we also raised the issue of unhygienic conditions of slum dwellers and highlighted the solutions to
overcome it".

"I opined that toilets being built at collector's land should not require a NOC and also demanded that e-tendering process should be fastened," he added.