Note on Slum Schemes and Challenges faced:

COVID-19 has held the entire world at its mercy and every country is trying to
fight out its own battle in two ways ; one to tackle the virus and second to adopt
measures to fight it till its solution is found through vaccination.
Mumbai has its own issues and a major one amongst it is to tackle covid-19 in
densely populated slums of Mumbai. However as the Government and the city is
trying to control its spread in the slums ,a lot of queries/doubts are raised about
the various steps taken regarding slum rehabilitation over the years.
It would be unfair to make an opinion just based on figures of an otherwise
multi layered Slum Rehabilitation.
Below is an brief attempt about the same.:

Background:
Slum rehabilitation in its true sense does emphasis on the uplift of the slum
dweller from his current status in the society. As an requirement for any person
in the society to thrive and survive he looks out towards the government to give
him enough opportunities for livelihood , basic amenities for his survival ,and
low cost and sustainable life standards. Every one craves for his growth through
his own set of qualities which he brings to the society and in an bid to encash
and to get exposure he comes to towns and bigger cities . It is known fact that
most of these slum dwellers do have better homes at their birthplaces yet they
come to cities to upgrade their living standards. Hence the shift of the population
towards the city .The govt and the city does play their role in providing them the
exposure of livelihood based on their talents in a city which never sleeps .The
understanding of co operation and spirit of city is so high here as it can be
confirmed from their cramped up living spaces which are not very hygine and
yet they stay in big nos. and yet invite their friends and relatives from villages to
come and explore their talent in this city as well.Subsequently living in these in
unhygienic units with walls made of galvanized sheets or kaccha bricks and
access of sometimes only 2-3 feet wide small lanes, they do come together for
their rehabilitation of houses.
The Govt. has also over the years tried to create a sustainable formula where by
it accommodates the needs/aspirations of these section of society and
undertaken to ease their burden of shelter through such schemes whereby their
participation is given utmost importance, even more than that of the land owner
himself.
While formulating such schemes the terms set by Govt upon itself was to provide
an opportunity to the person to upgrade his shelter without affecting his
aspirations for overall growth and without displacing him from his current
location as the govt understood that the development has to be in-situ and
sustainable.
In order to make this scheme self reliant and not creating a more burden on
already weeping budget , the involvement of private developer to bear their
costs vide incentives are formulated.
Yes the scheme has to be for the people and by the people and to achieve such
goal without investment and minimum displacement ,the govt realized that the
regulations for such development or rather redevelopment will require unequal
rules and hence the concept of unequal rules to remove inequality (to uplift the
social status of the slum dwellers).
Over the years the govt has realized that the minimum size of unit for any family
to be standardized on the basis of the income class , and accordingly the size is
varied from 180 sq.ft to 300 sq.ft till date.The government also realized that the
citizen of the city in the process is deprived of amenities due to spread of slums
and hence tried through the regulations to restore some percentage of the
amenities.
Hence the govt has tried through the scheme to achieve and keep alive the
aspirations of the slum dwellers who are striving in the city for their uplift by
providing them a free hygienic well equipped and sustainable housing unit and
complex while at the same time ascertaining to get back some of the
amenities/infrastructure lost under the slums over the years at no cost to the
govt by incentivizing the scheme enough for the participation of the developers.
It creates by itself a new avenue for development /jobs by itself . Hence over the
years the S.R.Scheme has grown ,though at less pace but moving in right
direction.
It would be wrong to assume that the slum dwellers should reside in low cost
housing or low-rise storied bldgs but they would rather be happy and survive
with low maintainence bldgs. with better amenities and in-house toilets and bath
areas ;much wider open spaces than what they live now ,better construction
than they are living currently and with proper authorized water and electricity
rather than the agony to line up in long queues for everything on mercy of slum
lords .

They have their right to have good sound construction at par construction as for
sale and a low maintainance house with good amenities .

Given below are some of the aspects which a slum rehabilitation scheme has to
take in consideration for its successful implementation .

1) The existing status of slum plot/society. : in this major factors are the size
and type of plot profile (mostly irregular shape) ,the reservations
affecting the plot ,the DP/Existing Roads leading to and within the scheme
plot.
2) The density of existing slum
3) The location of the scheme
4) the type of slums (its character) the religious structures in the scheme
plot ,.
5) Feasibility of in-situ development .
6) Existing size of land occupied by slums (size avg of 100 sq.ft) and post
rehabiliatation due to increase in basic area to 300 sq.ft leading to more
dense development .

.A brief comparision of status of existing conditions and upon

redevelopment can be as under.
IN existing condition the slum dweller is facing :
1) odd and very small space with inadequate light and ventilation .
2) Probably most of slum dwellers need to live in shifts due to more no.
of persons staying together in small space.(sometimes 12-15 in small
room)
3) The hygiene is very bad in the entire layout and exposed to lot of
diseases and health problems.
4) There are no roads to individual gullies/lanes .Probably upon any
calamity hardly any option to escape.
5) No common amenities: Rather In fact common toilet and common
washing places and common water collection points.
However Upon redevelopment
1)They get better and bigger spaces well ventilated and fully fire
complaint.
2)Authoirzed structure with proper lifts and individual water and
toilet facility.
3)STP/UG TANK/OH TANKS taking care of sewerage and water issues.
4)Dedicated fund in society account to cater to assessment tax as well.
5)Social upliftment a major boast to these society members as the
living standards are improved sharply.
6)Social amenity like balwadis ,welfare, office, yoga centers are given
to the society with every 250 tenemnts .
7)Planning :
a)As per standard norms all the tenants have option of well ventilated
300 sq.ft of minimum 2 room-3 room tenements.
b)Minimum open spaces are as per CFO requirement and minimum 6
m all around .
c)Parking facility is improved.
d) so is fire safety and terrace waterproofing .
e) Lifts are provided and the quality of construction is also of good
standard quality to withstand all major forces of earhquakes and wind
forces.
f)The scheme is well catered to the requirement of all the needs of the
LIG tenements.
8)Social Upliftment :
a) Slum redevelopment is a first major jump/leap of the slum member
through which the govt helps him to further upgrade his life
standards.
b)Govt cater to a very major requirement of shelter in a costly city like
Mumbai with in situ development instead of displacing him.

Progress/delay of scheme ??
9) Time frame for completion of scheme:
a)GREEN filed project can be completed within specified time as only
major hurdle is approvals apart from finances, whereas in slum
schemes though approvals are important the main requirement is to
co ordinate with slum society ,appraise them to co operate, displace
them vide transit or alternative accommodation/ rent and then
construct rehab and to recover the costs and investments vide sale
bldgs..
b)The time and efforts required for the slum co ordination is
maximum due to the character of the slum and various obstacles in
implementing the scheme and many times there is delay costs
involved making the projects unviable.

Thus the aspect of slum rehabilitation is far from just planning of units
but to cater to all above requirement and come out with best possible
solution.
Hence a Slum scheme evolves around the slum dweller to give him a
sound construction house and to boost his social and economical
growth by in-situ rehabilitation and a big major step to bring him in
society at par with others .
Suggestions of the some of the basic support/reforms :

 Clearly Covid-19 has made us see things differently and hence though the
real estate industry was already witnessing its worst time period since
last decade events such as Covid-19 has allowed us to really think hard to
find long term solutions.
 As is the case in all industries where the word One time restructuring is
getting weight everyday ,the same applies to Slum schemes also .In fact
it’s a one time restructuring of the entire slum rehabilitation programme
itself.
 It doesn’t require much argument that the Slum rehabilitation attempts to
rehabilitate the life of slum dwellers residing in a particular location by
upgrading his living standards in form of better hygenine ,better
equipped and bigger size of tenement with all the basic infrastructure of
water ,electricity apart from lift and fire safety measures.
 However it is found that though over the years the size of rehab tenement
has increased from 20.90 sqm to 27.88 sq.mt and accordingly the sale
incentive has also increased along with Govt premium for land, the speed
of implementation of schemes has gradually slowed down very much.
 Covid 19 and its spread has made us all aware the importance of solving
the slum rehabilitation issue faster as we may overcome this disaster but
another one ,god forbidden, disaster and the entire city may suffer a
deadly blow.
 Given below are the possible areas of reforms and some suggestions for
same. It is also felt that one time restructuring for the ongoing schemes is
equally important as this will help to generate thousands of rehab houses
which are nearing completion in a very short time.
Ongoing Schemes where already work is started for one or more rehab
building.

Steps to take for Approvals :

 For the ongoing scheme where LOI is taken ,the revised LOI should be
granted by Engg dept only.
 For all rehab building the permisisons should not be withheld .CC to be
granted along with approval of plans and for ht of 70m to be allowed to
certify and submit by arch.,himself.
 For 70-120m by E.E. only .
 Above 120m by Dy.che only.
 For sale buildings the approval by Exe engg and for any further
amendments by Dy Che level.
 CC. for sale building to be given as 1:1 and monitored by arch and he
should inform for any lapses .Time frame for completion of rehab building
criteria for sale cc permissions .
 All CC by AE level only and if any relaxations then by E.E. level .
 Annexure-III by developer only once for his company or group companies
.it should be complied for all projects and not asked repeatedly at each
approval .
  No BG but can ask to keep sale stock/cc to be withhold from same or his
another site if required .

Payments :
 Ready reckoner to be 50% of normal r.r. value for slum schemes.
 For rehab construction no premiums/payments apart from labour
cess,maintainance deposit.
 For sale all payments to be 10% of normal payments
 For fungible payments also reduced payments be applicable.
 Land premium be recovered on pro rata basis as per sale building cc
 1 st payment at sale cc and then as per bldg. wise on pro rata basis to be
linked with occ of respective bldg..

 Already paid payments within last 2 years and for which occ is not
granted to be adjusted against revised payments .

 For the pending deferment default and penalty payments and old interest
payments the same should be either offered at OTS nature at 25% of
pending amounts or allowed to lien equivalent sale area.

 The government should give incentive to the developer by giving a

window of 2 years or as applicable for completion of rehab buildings by
giving payment relief or by issuing tdr certificate for 25% area for speedy
construction.

 Govt can also offer to purchase or surrender the sale units of smaller sizes
against the payments to be made for the sale building once the c.c is
granted.

 No GST for further 2 years if completed in the rehab buildings in time.

 Stamp duty/registration for sale flats to be reduced to 1% till 2 years .

 No new LUC tax for rehab building portion and sale to be differed for 2
years and linked with construction programme ,i.e. applicable for portion
of work completed as per cc and not as per cc directly.(i.e. if CC granted
upto 21 floors but work of 1st slab going on then the entire LUC will be
divided into period of 2/3 years of construction as applicable and not
charged on entire FSI.

New projects :

The approach for new projects must involve above aspects as well with a rider
that the developer can plan to start both rehab and sale together with option of
handing over the sale to the govt under PMAY.
He should be given option of introducing the CSR fund for construction of rehab
buildings and rents to the slum dwellers and equivalent housing stock can be
allotted to the govt.
There should be no GST for the rehab work
Stamp duty /registration for all slum schemes land be valued at 1% at par with
PMAY for the reduced R.R. as above .
Even for sale as the c.c. is given in co relation but booking can occur
simultaneously the registration/stamp duty be linked with actual cc ,however
loans can be released
Land measurement and luc tax tobe applicable only upon occ of rehab or for the
sale land portion as per the cc granted only.

All permisisons of environmental/ civil aviation be granted at the SRA level