Plan to develop land marked for beggars’ home irks BMC………Pandurang Mhaske
Mumbai: The state government’s decision to de-reserve the land marked for beggars’ home at Chembur has not gone down well with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The civic body’s improvement committee has said that the plot should be used only for the purpose of setting up houses for project affected people (PAPs).
Besides building government offices and quarters on the land, the state has also proposed to sell a part of it to private parties for development. The civic committee, which is yet to take a decision on the proposal, had visited the site last week.
Upendra Doshi, member of the committee, has demanded that houses be built for people who have been displaced by projects implemented by the BMC.
“If the state government wants to change the reservation of beggars’ home, then the residential quarters should be for persons who have lost their houses because of our projects,” said Doshi.
Opposing the state’s decision, Doshi said that the number of beggars have increased manifold in the past 20 years.
“Beggars have only increased. How can the government even think that there is no need of houses for them?It is the responsibility of the government to give them houses,” he said.
Congress corporator Vinod Shekhar also opposed the government decision. “Rehabilitation of beggars is the state’s responsibility, and for that the beggars’ homes are required,” said Shekhar.
Manoj Kotak, chairman, improvement committee, said, “The committee will decide on the state’s proposal in the next meeting.”
In 1959, the state government had reserved the 1,13,924-lakh square metre plot for rehabilitation of beggars.
According to the proposal, the Beggars’ Home will get only 10,000 square metre of it. The rest of the area is divided as follows: government offices on 22,923.32 sq m; an auditorium on 5,471.10 sq m; an information technology institute on 1,373.68 sq m; hostel for girls, boys and ladies on 24482.53 sq m; government guest house on 5,033.62 sq m; residences (for private builders) 40,000 sq m.