MUMBAI: "We do not want charity. We will construct our own houses." With this resounding refrain, middle-income housing crusaders are intensifying their demand for the implementation of a government rule (GR) from 1983. This rule promises the allotment of plots for the construction of affordable group housing.
The state, under the GR, empowers housing societies to build homes according to their needs and budget by providing land at affordable rates. Members of the Brihan mumbai Nivara Abhiyan (BNA) have threatened to organize a hunger strike starting Wednesday at Azad Maidan if the implementation of this rule is not expedited.
Activist Concerns
According to activists, over 3,900 applications from housing societies, each comprising 25-30 members, have been pending for eighteen months. These societies were formed two years ago to avail themselves of the scheme. "Successive governments in Maharashtra have failed to implement the GR issued in 1999. We wrote to then-Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and followed up regularly, but received no response," said Vinayak Joshi, trustee of BNA.
Historical Context
The movement for affordable housing started in 1981 by the Nagari Nivara Parishad (NNP). It concluded in 1992 when the NNP received possession of 62 acres of land in Dindoshi, Goregaon (East). A week-long Gandhian hunger strike in 1987 prompted then-President Gyani Zail Singh to intervene and accept the NNP's demands. Subsequently, the NNP constructed 6,152 buildings.
Current Demands
Activists assert that the same benefits should extend to the pending applications. Each housing society member has deposited Rs 10,000 to be used for construction when approval is granted. The financial downturn and the corresponding real estate slump have not facilitated affordable housing. "Due to limited supply of small flats and holding capacity of the builders, middle and low-income house buyers continue to find prevailing prices beyond their reach," alleged Joshi.
Urban Land Ceiling Act Controversy
The repeal of the Urban Land Ceiling Act (ULCA) exacerbates the problem. "While repealing the act, the state claimed that affordable housing would increase by unlocking Mumbai’s urban land bank. But this is not true," said Mrinal Gore, former MLA and trustee of BNA. "Those who can afford to pay an honest price for a flat and pay all taxes are being shunted out of the city," she added.