Mega slum rehab project on way to become reality

JAIPUR: In a major breakthrough, the JMC got a go-ahead on January 31, this year from the State Wildlife Sanctuary Board' after about two years. This is to build multi storied houses for slum dwellers at Shastri Nagar in the city. The Rs 300-crore project intended to build at least 12,000 dwelling units for the poor and also to develop the surrounding areas making it viable for commercial uses, got clearance from the board this week.
The project with about 12,000 houses in a multi-storied complex, an attached shopping complex, school and playground for the slum dwellers in the city had been planned.But the project dragged on for over two years despite some initial work like land levelling, road demarcation by the executing agency, JMC.
JMC engineer-in-chief, D L Bhakar, told TOI that full-fledged work would begin the moment the civic body gets final clearance from the SC empowered committee. "We hope to begin the construction work within 2-3 months," added Bhakar.
"Not only does the project aim at providing housing to the Kachchi Basti people but the JMC also plans to develop many commercial complexes in the 75 hectares," said Bhakar. He added, "The forest department, by default had shown this stretch of land in their map which has come in the way of the project".
"Out of the 186 kachchi bastis we have managed to regularise 112 slums in the city and for the remaining 74 different rehabilitation projects are on but some hurdles keep coming up which take away the momentum. We had pleaded our case before the forest department and now we hope to begin the work," said Bhakar.
Rs 169.43 crore, which has been sanctioned for the construction of four-storied residential complexes for rehabilitating the poor and the homeless residing in 16 slums across the city had caught in an ownership wrangle with the forest department. The forest department issued notice to the JMC that the declared 75 hectares earmarked for the purpose fall in the area belonging to Nahargarh wildlife sanctuary, thus creating the biggest stumbling block.
Now with the project getting the green signal from the forest department the JMC looks all set to enter the new year with a dream project. "This would be a step towards making the city a world-class one," said Hemant Kumar Sharma , a senior engineer, JMC.