Selja lauds MMRDA's Nirmal Abhiyan

Mumbai, Sep 11 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Selja today said the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority's initiative to built 30,000 toilet seats in the MMRDA region is an excellent one and would help in generating a clean environment.

Initiating a dialogue on Affordable and Rental Housing, organized by the National Slum Dwellers Federation and Mahila Mandal here, which included large number of international dignitaries, Ms Selja said the toilet blocks would benefit the slum dwellers, especially women, and once completed, the MMRDA would get abundant blessings from the women.

She said that given the present scenario, lack of proper toilets cause a great deal of suffering to the women and the MMRDA has undertaken an ambitious drive to construct the toilets.

The minister said that going by the progress made by MMRDA so far, their dream of making the toilet seats would soon become a reality.

Selja lauded the state government in taking a giant leap in providing cheap rental and affordable housing for the poor.

Speaking on the occasion, MMRDA Metropolitan Mr Ratnakar Gaikwad said that utmost care is being taken to look into the immediate requirements of the poor especially those living in slums, which is why the Rental Housing Scheme and Nirmal MMR Abhiyan were being initiated.

He said that so far 9,000 seats of the 30,000 planned, will be ready by September 2008, while the remaining 21,000 seats are expected to be completed by May 2009.

Those present during the seminar included Dr Lindive Sisuku, South Africa's Housing Minister, Matten Wassetal, Minister of state for enviroment, Norway, Ms Ines Magalhes, Permanent Secretary Housing, Brazil and others.

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