Nearly 96,000 hazardous buildings found in Mumbai: Maha Minister

Mumbai, July 17 (IANS) Maharashtra Tourism Minister Shambhuraj Desai said on Thursday in the State Council that nearly 96,000 highly dangerous buildings were found during the survey conducted by the Mumbai Building Repair and Reconstruction Board.

The state government has given decisive options to relocate the tenants in these buildings, the Minister added.

He announced that the state government on June 5 has decided that tenants, who are not willing to move to the transit camps, will be given a monthly rent of Rs 20,000 each so that they can live elsewhere.

This decision has been taken with the consent of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers -- Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, and the concerned department.

Minister Desai was replying to queries raised by Congress MLA Bhai Jagtap, BJP MLA Prasad Lad and SHIV Sena-UBT MLA Sachin Ahir regarding the redevelopment of buildings in Mumbai.

He said that the tenants of all these high risk buildings have been asked to relocate by giving them notice from time to time.

"At present, 20,363 shelters in transit camps are available in the municipal area, of which 590 shelters are ready to be provided immediately. However, many tenants are not ready to relocate despite giving repeated notices, this is a serious matter and for this two important decisions have been taken in June 2025. The government decided that tenants who are not willing to move to the transit camp will be given a monthly rent of Rs 20,000 each, so that they can live elsewhere. This decision has been taken with the consent of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers and the concerned department," he added.

"The second decision was taken on June 13, 2025, according to which some buildings with flats of 180 and 250 square feet will be rented for three years, which will be used as a transit camp. Meetings, awareness campaigns and direct contact will be adopted by the authorities to explain both these policies to the tenants. People from the concerned buildings should also come forward in large numbers and accept the government decisions by shifting out of high risk buildings," the Minister said.

Regarding reconstruction of these buildings, he clarified that as per the amendment in Development Control Rule 79A, if the owner comes forward, his proposal will be approved within six months.

"If the owner does not come forward, then there is an option for the tenants to form a society and submit a proposal. And if neither of these two options happens, then under the third option, the state government will acquire the concerned land and appoint a developer through Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority to take up the work, the Minister added.

--IANS

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