Rent control act needs to be modified gradually: Milind Deora

Mumbai, Mar 19 (UNI) Congress MP from South Mumbai Milind Deora today called for the need to liberalise the Rent Control Act gradually to benefit cities in the long run.

Speaking at a session on 'Emerging megacities: case studies on urban renewal and development' as part of the 16th Asian Corporate Conference, Mr Deora, the youngest parliamentarian in the 14th Lok Sabha, said the Urban Renewal Mission of the Centre clearly specifies on such reforms to be carried out by the respective states before allocation of funds.

He said the focus should not be on Mumbai and Delhi alone, but on semi-urban centres across the country.

The Mission to be implemented over a period of seven years will try to achieve this goal and will cover 23 cities across India, he said.

Speaking on the politics of development, Mr Deora said despite growing urbanization, 70 per cent of the country is still rural.

''This is the reason we have pro-rural governments where urban decay and haphazard planning is neglected. India is dominated by rural politics. There is a lack of political will. We need to rework the models and improve urban development.'' He also pointed out that land is a State subject and the Centre can do little in terms of Urban Planning. He said the Urban Renewal Mission, which seeks land reforms from state governments, is like a carrot and stick approach. ''A carrot minus the stick does not work here.'' Striking an optimistic note, Mr Deora said the Mission signifies that there is emerging consensus among stakeholders envisaging wholistic development for cities.

Dwelling on the issue of slum proliferation, especially in Mumbai, Mr Deora said hutment dwellers are an integral part of this metro's economy.

''In a democracy, all politics is vote bank politics.'' Mr Mukesh Mehta, CEO of M M Consultants, which has been appointed project consusltant for the ambitious Dharavi redevelopment project, said that the need of the hour was the socio-economic upliftment of the slum dwellers in Mumbai.

Mr Mehta informed that the Dharavi development project, covering 500 acre expanse of land housing 52,000 families, would ensure that the slum dwellers' annual income grows from approximately Rs 40,000 to Rs one lakh.

He said the slum rehabilitation schemes have not been a success because of various impediments including vested interests and sensitive issues of slum dwellers.

Mr Mehta said efforts were on to make Mumbai ''slum free'' by 2020. ''if Mumbai becomes slum free, there would no slums anywhere in the country. Slum development and old dilapidated buildings offer opportunities and challenges and is an engine of economic development.'' He said 15 per cent of developable land in Mumbai is covered by slums.

Mr Narinder Nayar, chairman of Bombay First, said focus has to be on governance and infrastructure in Mumbai. ''We need more low income housing and better transport system. We are living in a city that is governed by rules framed a century ago and there is not a single point responsiblity and accountability because several agencies are involved in Mumbai's governance.'' He lamented that no corporate offers its active participation for transforming the quality of life in Mumbai into a globally comparable one.

The sentiments were echoed by Milind Deora who said corporates indulged only in government bashing rather than stepping out to complete government efforts. ''The only area corporates are interested is housing because builders have a stake. Corporates should treat their participation as a business model rather than charity'', he felt.

UNI