Speed Up Work on Anna Bhau Sathe International Memorial: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai, April 2026 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed officials to expedite the construction of the Lokshahir Sahityaratna Anna Bhau Sathe International Memorial in Ghatkopar, for which a provision of ₹332.62 crore has already been approved. He also instructed that ineligible slum dwellers affected by the project should be provided houses under a rental housing scheme.

The directions were issued during the 16th meeting of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), Mumbai, held at Sahyadri Guest House under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister. On the occasion, Fadnavis virtually inaugurated various sections of the Authority’s office. He also unveiled a publication titled “Guidelines for Implementation of Slum Rehabilitation Schemes in Mumbai” and released the Authority’s calendar.

Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal, Additional Chief Secretary (Housing) Aseem Kumar Gupta, Municipal Commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Ashwini Bhide, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Lokesh Chandra, Principal Secretary Dr. Shrikar Pardeshi, Principal Secretary (Law and Justice) Dilip Ghumare, and CEO of SRA Dr. Mahendra Kalyankar, along with other officials, were present at the meeting.

Taking into account the limited response to joint venture projects, stalled developments, and unviable schemes, the government has decided to implement cluster redevelopment under the State Housing Policy 2025. This initiative aims at integrated and sustainable development of large slum areas. Projects covering 50 acres or more will be taken up for redevelopment, and the Authority has begun the process of identifying such cluster zones. Approximately 6 to 7 lakh slum dwellers are expected to benefit from this scheme.

An additional ₹97 crore has been sanctioned for redevelopment projects at Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar and Kamaraj Nagar, taking the total project cost to ₹597 crore.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister also directed officials to review the availability of rehabilitation housing units for project-affected persons under various SRA schemes.

Fadnavis praised the SRA’s ‘Netram’ project, a digital system developed under the PM Gati Shakti initiative to monitor and curb illegal encroachments. Using satellite imagery, the system tracks encroachments across Mumbai and alerts authorities in real time. He emphasised that officials must be held accountable for taking prompt action based on this data.

The Chief Minister also approved the regularisation of contractual Class IV employees working in the SRA. Additionally, approval was granted to absorb engineers currently working under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation into the Authority, with a decision to fill up to 30 percent of posts under the overall staffing structure.

Highlighting the need for technological advancement, Fadnavis suggested developing AI-based systems to ensure that citizens do not need to visit offices for services. He also called for the integration of Artificial Intelligence into the Auto DCR (Development Control Regulation) system to enable a fully automated, 24×7 approval process without human intervention. Similar systems should also be developed for MHADA and the municipal corporation, he said.

SRA CEO Dr. Mahendra Kalyankar informed that 22 administrative services have already been digitised under the Authority’s IT policy. Efforts are also underway to recover outstanding rent dues and remove unauthorized occupants from rehabilitation projects and illegal slums across the city.