01 October,2026 06:44 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
MMRDA digitises PAP rehabilitation from survey to tenement possession (Pic/Special arrangement)
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Thursday, October 1, launched an integrated digital system to streamline rehabilitation of Project Affected Persons (PAPs), with possession letters issued to 94 eligible slum dwellers from Garib Nagar on the first day of its implementation.
As per the officials, the Computerised Tenement Allotment Cell and the Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) system, named âe-Punarvasan', were operationalised by MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, IAS, in the presence of Additional Metropolitan Commissioner-1 Velrasu, IAS, and Joint Metropolitan Commissioner Pankaj Deore, IAS.
The system brings various stages of PAP rehabilitation, from the initial ground survey to the handing over of tenements, onto a single digital platform.
MMRDA said the move is aimed at reducing dependence on separate manual and Excel-based records and making the status of rehabilitation cases easier to track.
Under the new system, PAP details will be collected through a mobile-based e-survey, followed by Aadhaar-based Offline Verification Seeking Entity (OVSE) verification and online verification of electricity bills. Joint verification and Annexure II, which records eligibility-related information, have also been incorporated into the digital process.
After the eligibility process is completed, eligible PAPs will be allotted tenements through a computerised e-Lottery. The authority said the lottery will randomly select tenements from the available inventory without human intervention in the selection process.
Allotment and possession letters will subsequently be generated digitally, with Aadhaar OVSE verification forming part of the process. The system will also record the beneficiary's thumb impression and live photograph, while documents can be linked through QR codes.
Aadhaar OVSE, or Offline Verification Seeking entity-based verification is a key component of the new system. MMRDA said it is the first organisation in the country to use the OVSE verification process developed by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
The system allows Aadhaar-related information provided by PAPs to be verified offline. MMRDA said this will provide an additional layer of beneficiary identification and help link the verified beneficiary to the relevant rehabilitation case.
Beneficiary verification will also include online verification of old electricity bills through electricity service providers. The authority said this will allow relevant historical records submitted by PAPs to be checked digitally rather than relying entirely on manual verification.
The authority has also moved its records of rehabilitation tenements to the digital system. Earlier, information on available tenements was maintained separately through Excel records.
Under e-Punarvasan, MMRDA will maintain digital information on rehabilitation buildings and individual tenements, including those that are available, allotted and handed over for possession.
The system also includes a management dashboard and MIS reports through which officials can track the status of PAP cases, tenement allotments and rehabilitation progress.
An official statement from MMRDA further added that the system will also maintain digital records of post-possession rehabilitation-related action, allowing cases to be tracked beyond the initial allotment and possession stages.
With the introduction of this new system, these stages have been connected through a single digital workflow covering survey, beneficiary verification, eligibility, e-Lottery, allotment, possession and subsequent monitoring.
MMRDA said the system is intended to provide PAPs with clearer information about their rehabilitation cases and reduce dependence on intermediaries.
Maharashtra CM Fadnavis said, "Technology proves its true value when it makes administration simpler, more transparent and easily accessible to citizens. Through âe-Punarvasan', the process from verification of Project Affected Persons to tenement allotment and handing over possession has been made digital and traceable."
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, while hailing the initiative by MMRDA, said, "Project Affected Persons should not have to depend on intermediaries or face uncertainty in securing the rehabilitation to which they are entitled. Through âe-Punarvasan', MMRDA has brought verification, eligibility, computerised tenement allotment and possession under a single structured digital process."
"Aadhaar-based verification, online verification of records and computerised e-Lottery will make the process more transparent and reduce human intervention in tenement selection. Our priority is to ensure that every eligible Project Affected Person receives the rehabilitation to which they are entitled through a clear, fair and efficient process," Shinde further added.
MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee said, "Under this system, beneficiary identities will be verified, every record will be traceable and tenements will be selected through a computerised e-Lottery without human intervention. The ultimate purpose of technology must be to make administration simpler for citizens."
