Govt has no figures on slums, will enact laws to stop influx

MUMBAI, APRIL 7: The Maharashtra government on Friday told the Legislative Assembly that it had no data on the number of slum-dwellers res...

MUMBAI, APRIL 7: The Maharashtra government on Friday told the Legislative Assembly that it had no data on the number of slum-dwellers residing in Mumbai or any other city, but promised to introduce a bill in the current session of the Legislature to prevent influx into cities, including Mumbai.

Replying to a starred question raised by Deepak Paigude, Minister for Housing and Slum Development Rohidas Patil and the Minister of State Nawab Malik expressed their inability to give authentic figures on the number of slum-dwellers settled in cities prior to January 1, 1995 and after that.

Malik said that even the previous Shiv Sena-BJP government, which had promised to provide free houses to 40 lakh slum-dwellers in Mumbai, had no authentic data to determine their exact numbers.

Story continues below this ad

Patil said that never in the past had the government undertaken any survey of slum-dwellers. The government had decided to regularise slums which had come up till January 1, 1995 and a survey in this regard was on. He said that 25,000 employees were on the census job in Mumbai and by May 31, the exact data would be available.

Patil further said that the government would enact laws in the current session to prevent proliferation of slums in cities. He said that any slum which had come up after January 1, 1995, would be demolished. The local police, municipal and other concerned officials would be held accountable for mushrooming of new slums. Such officials would be suspended forthwith.

Malik said that from October 2 this year, the government would issue identity cards to slum-dwellers (settled prior to 1995). The enumeration work had already begun in areas like Amboli and Matunga.

Opposition members contested the statement of the ministers, claiming that a survey had been undertaken and identity cards issued to slum-dwellers in 1976. Patil replied, no survey had been conducted in the past and that in 1976 all slum-dwellers had not been issued ID cards.