Evicted hutment dwellers will be suitably rehabilitated: CM

Mumbai, Sep 21 (UNI) Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today assured that hutment dwellers, evicted owing to developmental projects like bridge and road construction, would be considered as project-affected and properly rehabilitated.

The Chief Minister's assurance came in the wake of a Congress delegation, led by Mumbai Regional Congress Committee president Gurudas Kamat, which met Mr Deshmukh with a request that hutments existing upto the year 2000 be fully protected. The Chief Minister assured that an amendment in the laws would be made in this regard.

Mr Deshmukh told the delegation that the government proposes to announce a special policy on November 1 to solve the rehabilitation issues of the city.

He said a scheme has been prepared to improve the basic infrastructure in 107 slum areas at an estimated expenditure of Rs 336 crore. Fifty per cent of the expenditure will be borne by the Centre, 38 by the State and the rest by the beneficiaries.

Mr Deshmukh said under the Valmiki Ambedkar Housing Scheme, it was proposed to build 3,476 houses. Houses could be constructed even on hillocks under the scheme, he said.

The delegation also apprised the Chief Minister about the problems posed by old dilapidated buildings in the city which number around 16,442.

Mr Kamat demanded sports complexes be constructed on twenty reserved plots, which has been accepted by Mr Deshmukh.

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