Mumbai: The State government is considering a law that makes it mandatory for residents to move to transit camps once their building has been declared as dilapidated or dangerous, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday.
“The government will make a law as per which if a building is declared dilapidated or dangerous by the competent authority and 51% of the residents have vacated the structure, then rest of the residents will be made to vacate the building forcefully,” he said. Mr. Fadnavis added that in the recent incident of the collapse of a building declared as ‘dangerous’ by the civic body in Bhendi Bazar, around 60% of the residents had moved out. “A majority of people had moved out of the building, but those who decided to stay became the victims.”
He said though residents will be evicted from dilapidated structures, they will be provided alternate shelter immediately. Media reports had underlined the fact that tenants of the ill-fated Husseini building were unwilling to move out, and had cited delays in redevelopment projects and no a guarantee of alternative accommodation as reasons.
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Prakash Reddy of Brihanmumbai Tenant Council said completing redevelopment projects on time should be mandatory by law. “Why threaten the citizens? Put checks on builders as well. It’s the government’s responsibility to complete the project in time. If it wants to remove tenants, then it should ensure they get alternate residences in the vicinity.”