Pune: Slum Rehabilitation Authority Delays Notices to 20 Developers
Pune, 20th June 2023: In a recent development, the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) in Pune has yet to issue notices to 20 developers who have failed to initiate the development of sanctioned Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) projects. These developers were granted official sanctions by the SRA five years ago, but have not taken any action since then, causing significant inconvenience to slum inhabitants.
The SRA, responsible for overseeing the rehabilitation and reduction of slums in cities, currently has 46 pending projects within its administrative jurisdiction. The delay in issuing notices stems from the completion of a preliminary survey conducted by the SRA. This survey has identified various anomalies and shortcomings on the part of the developers.
Nilesh Gatane, the Chief Executive Officer of the SRA, had previously stated that notices would be sent once the preliminary survey was concluded. Nagesh Gaikawad, the SRA administration in-charge with the rank of Tahsildar, confirmed that the survey is still ongoing. He further stated that once the survey is completed, the SRA will proceed to issue notices to the twenty developers who have failed to act on their allocated projects.
According to the SRA, a total of 61 projects have been successfully completed in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad under their purview. The forthcoming notices will explicitly highlight the inconvenience caused to slum inhabitants due to the prolonged delays in project execution.
To address such delays, the SRA recently introduced new guidelines extending the deadline for completing projects. These guidelines empower the SRA with the authority to impose penalties or revoke projects from developers who fail to meet the specified timeframes.
The SRA’s slum rehabilitation initiative was launched in Pune in 2005, aiming to expedite the process of rehabilitating slum dwellers and reducing the prevalence of slums in urban areas. Over the years, nearly 11,000 slum dwellers have been successfully rehabilitated through SRA projects in Pune City.
