To make city slum-free, all slums to be surveyed by year-end
'We have set a target of completing the survey of all slums in Mumbai by December 31,' said Dr Mahendra Kalyankar, chief executive officer, SRA. The authority will rope in specialised agencies over and above two agencies it currently relies on to complete the work on time, he added.
The decision to finish the survey this year was taken during a review meeting chaired by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on June 12, wherein he directed officials to accelerate the exercise.
The SRA had, via a drone survey in 2021, identified 2,597 slum clusters across Mumbai, which were differentiated into 13,79,086 slum settlements.
Till Thursday, Pioneer Foundation Private Limited and Saar IT Resources Private Limited – two agencies which conduct surveys on behalf of the SRA – had conducted door-to-door surveys in 5,75,136 slum settlements while another 8,03,950 slum settlements remained to be surveyed.
'Since over 8 lakh slums have to be surveyed in about five months, we will appoint more agencies by floating a tender,' said an SRA official.
Around 1.4 lakh of the settlements that remain to be surveyed are located on plots owned by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and both agencies are conducting separate surveys as well, the official mentioned.
'Once completed, our survey will provide comprehensive information about all slums in the city and prevent any new addition,' the SRA official told HT.
Slums that spring up after the survey can be identified easily, which will help in initiating punitive action, he said. 'It will also prevent any attempt by developers to add fake tenants in SRA projects,' he added.
According to the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971, residents of slums built until January 1, 2000 must be provided free rehabilitation tenements when they are evicted. In May 2018, during Devendra Fadnavis' first term as chief minister, the cut-off date for rehabilitation was extended to January 1, 2011, but it was mandated that those residing in slums built between 2001 and 2011 would not be eligible for free rehabilitation, following a Supreme Court decision.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Cabinet clears ordinance to change DUK VC selection panel
Thiruvananthapuram: In an apparent move against Kerala University of Digital Sciences (DUK) interim vice-chancellor (VC) Ciza Thomas, the state cabinet on Wednesday decided to amend the provisions of Kerala University of Digital Sciences Act for setting up a search-cum-selection committee for the appointment of a permanent VC. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The state cabinet approved the draft ordinance for making changes in subsections 3, 4 and 6 of the university rule 11. A statement from the chief minister's office (CMO) said the ordinance aims to make changes in the Act in accordance with the provisions in UGC regulations (2018) and recent court orders. The state cabinet has decided to send the draft ordinance to governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlerkar for clearance. Governor reappointing Thomas as the interim VC of DUK came as a severe blow to the state govt. Earlier, Thomas had submitted a report to the governor regarding the alleged mismanagement of funds at the university, following which the governor recommended a CAG probe into her alleged findings. As per the provisions in UGC (2018) regulations, only academics can be included in the search committee for VC selection. Currently, the chief secretary is also a member of the committee. An expert in electronics, a UGC representative, a university representative and govt representatives are members of the committee. However, the draft UGC regulations (2025) stipulate that the selection committee should have representatives of the chancellor, UGC and university. It is alleged that the govt is trying to appoint a VC of its choice at DUK well before the 2025 regulation comes into effect. Meanwhile, tensions between govt representatives and interim VC K Sivaprasad have thrown Kerala Technological University's (KTU) administration into turmoil. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A meeting of the finance standing committee scheduled on Wednesday, to approve the university's draft budget, could not meet due to lack of quorum. Since only three of the 14-member committee turned up for the meeting, the meeting could not be held. It is alleged that committee members abstained from the meeting on the political instructions of the govt. Because of the delay in passing the university's budget, the daily administration of the university is already in peril. KTU has defaulted its payment to the software company that runs the e-governance system. It is yet to pay Amazon for the cloud servers used for e-governance. None of the internet service providers have been paid their fees for months. Technical University Staff Organization, protesting against the negative and destructive stance of the statutory committee members, urged the VC to use his special powers and pass the budget or at least go for a vote on account before the university faces further paralysis.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
TCS representatives, KITU office-bearers attend conciliatory meeting
Following the Karnataka IT/ITeS Employees Union filing an industrial dispute case against IT services company Tata Consultancy Services in the context of allegations of forced resignations by the company, a conciliatory meeting was held today between the parties by the Karnataka Labour Department. It has been learnt that another detailed meeting would be held on September 8. Boban Varghese Thomas, general manager-HR, and Mahesh G.K., assistant manager at TCS, attended the meeting in which Suhas Adiga, general secretary-KITU, VJK Nair, president-KITU, and Sooraj Nidiyanga, secretary-KITU, participated. Sources close to the matter told The Hindu that both parties presented their sides at the meeting, which was held at the additional labour commissioner's office. Case against company KITU representatives had recently filed an industrial dispute case against TCS following allegations of forced resignations. On July 27, the company also announced that it would release 2% of its global workforce, which comes to around 12,000 employees. Following the complaint by the union, the Labour Department sent a notice to TCS. According to the Industrial Disputes Act, companies employing more than 100 workers are required to obtain prior approval from the government before carrying out any layoffs or retrenchments. Such retrenchments are permitted only for specific reasons and under conditions clearly defined in the Act. The union claims to have received several complaints from TCS employees, particularly those on the bench, who were reportedly being forced by the management to resign after introducing a new 'bench policy.' The new policy limits an employee's duration on the bench to 35 days annually.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
'Why is Varamahalakshmi celebrated?' Bengaluru shop's ChatGPT-inspired ad goes viral; here's why
In Bengaluru, where new ideas are always buzzing, a local saree shop has found a creative way to grab attention ahead of the Varamahalakshmi festival. Instead of using the usual ads, the shop put up a display that looks just like a ChatGPT conversation screen– and it's got everyone talking on social media. An ad that speaks the language of today's audience The ad copies the look of a chat window from a conversational AI, with the question, 'Why is Varamahalakshmi festival celebrated?' This clever twist has caught people's attention and shows how Bengaluru brands are using modern digital trends to stay relatable and connect with today's audience. Sharing the image on X (formerly Twitter), one user noted, 'Local saree shop in Bangalore using ChatGPT mobile interface for an ad is a first. Earlier, it would be the Google search bar design. Just Bangalore things, I guess.' This remark, according to the post, highlights how Bengaluru continues to lead in blending tradition with cutting-edge trends. Timing aligned with cultural rhythms According to a Hindustan Times report, with the festival approaching on August 8 – a time when saree shopping is at its peak in South India– the shop's campaign couldn't be better timed. Using a conversational AI style adds a fun, modern twist to the festive shopping buzz. Flexible payment options complement the campaign The store's modern thinking isn't just limited to its marketing. As one user shared on X, it also offers a scheme where customers 'pay for 11 months, get 1 month free' – making it easier for people to shop during the festive season without feeling the financial pinch, according to the HT report. Echoing Bengaluru's tech-savvy spirit According to the report, this campaign has drawn comparisons to other viral Bengaluru moments, such as an image of an auto driver streaming a Naval Ravikant podcast while navigating the city's traffic. As one social media comment put it, 'Only in Bengaluru can a saree shop and an auto driver both go viral for tech-savvy moments.' This captures the city's unique blend of tradition, technology, and everyday hustle. Thumb image: Canva (for representative purposes only)
