The Centre's grand plan to make the cities slum-free through the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) is to begin from the State capital. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has identified Keshavnagar slum in Serlingampally circle for development as the pilot project under the public, private partnership (PPP) mode for the entire country.

Since the municipal corporation has been the first of the blocks in sending project reports to the Centre under RAY, it also has the distinction of undertaking the first remodelling work from among the 1,476 slums dotting the city.

Keshavnagar is among the 61 slums in the municipal circle spread out in an area of 12.10 acres currently and has a population of 1,026 persons living in 221 houses with an average family income of Rs.31,125. Just 22 among them are proper dwellings. There are also 160 semi-‘pucca' houses and 39 ‘kutcha' houses in the slum.

The redevelopment plan entails spending Rs.52 crore for reconstructing houses and basic infrastructure in an area of 7.38 acres leaving four acres for usage by the developer for building either residential or commercial complexes. Municipal officials, after extensive interaction with slum-dwellers, have realised that there was reluctance for the vertical development of ground plus three floors as was being proposed. A fresh plan has been prepared for the horizontal development where each household would be given individual housing units in the ratio of 60 sq. yards for a ‘pucca' house, 45 sq.yards for semi-‘pucca' and 36 sq.yards for ‘kutcha' house.

The redeveloped slum would have 12-metre wide roads all round and internal roads with widths between seven and nine metres with a separate children's play area and parks. Interestingly, slum dwellers are against equal compensation package to the tenants numbering 90!

Slum dwellers also expect compensation for structures being removed and are also inclined to avail of bank loans to pay the beneficiary share. RAY entitles them to have clear titles too.

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