Houses for 9,000 Maharashtra policemen soon after retirement

, Sep 3: Around 9,000 police constables in

would soon get a house of their own in adjoining Navi Mumbai after retirement.

"The policemen have formed a housing society of their own for the 100-acre project, of which 73 acres have already been acquired," Home Minister R R Patil said.

After completion of the project, members of the Brihanmumbai Police Cooperative Housing Society would get 2BHK 700 sq feet plus houses at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Nagar, near Panvel. The site is close to Panvel and Chowk railway stations and also the upcoming Navi Mumbai international airport, Patil said. The beneficiaries will be the police constabulary and won't include officers, he added.

Talks for the project were initiated with Cidco officials and the project would get a township status after acquisition of the remaining 27 acre land. The cost of each house is expected to be between Rs 10 to 11 lakh. An FSI of 1.7 has been granted for the project. This is not a government project but we have only played the role of a facilitator, the minister said. Patil recently announced that policemen, who have been burdened with extra 'bandobast' duties over the last few years will get leave on their birthdays and marriage anniversaries.

The government has also decided recently to keep five per cent reservation in police recruitment for children of policemen.

PTI