Surplus land available with the Central Public Sector Utilities (PSU) in Mumbai may now be used to construct houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) Mission.
The centre has also asked Maharashtra government to submit a factual plan on the condition of salt pan land in the state and how it can be used for building houses to urban homeless to achieve the central government’s target of ‘Housing for All: 2022.’
The decision was taken in the 22nd Western Zonal Council meeting held in Mumbai on Friday. The WZC is comprised of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa along with Daman & Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli. The meeting was chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by CMs of Maharashtra and Gujarat, Deputy CM of Goa, administrators of union territories, along with ministers from all states and centre and senior bureaucrats.
At a press conference after the meeting, Secretary of the council, Naini Jayaseelan said, “Considering the land constrain in Mumbai, surplus lands with central PSUs can be considered for the housing and they have been asked to identify the land .”
Maharashtra Chief Secretary Swadheen Kshatriya said, “the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has been asked to study how much salt pan land is available, for what purpose it can be used, and what are the restriction under Coastal Regulatory Zone, (CRZ) notifications.”
Apart from the housing, the meeting also reviewed coastal security concerns of all States and UTs and also progress on the decision to set up a Central Marine Task Force.
