IN A move that would make the cut-off date for eligibility for rehousing slum-dwellers almost irrelevant, the state government has proposed that all residents of slums in Mumbai would be entitled to rehabilitation under the slum redevelopment policy.

With almost every second city resident living in a slum, government sources admitted that the proposal could have a major impact on Mumbai’s infrastructure. At present, only residents of slums in dwelling units, which existed before January 1, 2000, are entitled to rehabilitation in a redevelopment scheme. The Devendra Fadnavis government has, however, decided to rehabilitate even those who live in dwellings constructed after the cut-off date. To enable this, the housing department has proposed modifications to the Maharashtra Slum Act, 1971.

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