06 November,2026 06:08 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
CM Fadnavis, along with Deputy CM Shinde, during the inauguration and key distribution ceremony for 140 flats at Panchsheel Nagar in Colaba, constructed under Phase II of the BMC`s Ashray Yojana. Pic/ CMO
Mumbai's 29,000 sanitation workers are set to benefit from a major housing initiative, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) beginning the phased redevelopment of their residential colonies.
Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the state government would provide sanitation workers with homes under ownership rights, in addition to service quarters, as part of efforts to improve their living conditions.
The announcement came during the inauguration and key distribution ceremony for 140 flats at Panchsheel Nagar in Colaba, constructed under Phase II of the BMC's Ashray Yojana.
CM Fadnavis said the initiative had already begun and would ensure that sanitation workers no longer had to worry about owning a home in the future.
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde, BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide and other civic and political representatives were present at the event.
The CM said the government had introduced the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Shram Safalya Yojana and the Valmiki Housing Scheme for sanitation workers.
Under the existing service accommodation arrangement, when a sanitation worker's son is appointed in place of his father, the accommodation is transferred to him.
The government aims to provide service quarters to sanitation workers by 2028, he said.
Highlighting the construction technology used for the Panchsheel Nagar project, Fadnavis said it was the BMC's first building constructed using pre-fabricated technology, which had so far largely been used for large private buildings. The complex also includes common facilities for residents.
"Sanitation workers take care of the health of Mumbaikars without prioritising their own health. It is the government's responsibility to provide them with spacious and quality homes," he said.
Fadnavis also referred to the Lad Page Committee, established in 1973 to address the concerns of sanitation workers. Its functioning was subsequently discontinued but revived in 2015 through a government resolution, reinstating the hereditary appointment system, he said.
The government has also decided to provide Class III jobs to children of sanitation workers who meet the required educational qualifications. It has won a legal battle to implement the committee's recommendations, he added.
Minimum wages and other facilities will also be extended to sanitation workers employed on contractual, daily-wage and substitute-worker arrangements, Fadnavis said.
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said the first phase of the initiative to provide service quarters to the BMC's 29,000 sanitation workers had begun. A total of 146 sanitation worker colonies in Mumbai would be redeveloped in phases to provide better accommodation.
Describing sanitation workers as Mumbai's real heroes, Shinde highlighted their contribution to keeping the city clean, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and monsoon.
Under the project, workers would receive 300-square-foot homes instead of the existing 150-square-foot accommodation. The BMC has adopted pre-fabricated technology to speed up construction, Shinde said.
He pointed out that several sanitation workers live outside Mumbai and commute by local trains every day, affecting their health and work efficiency. Providing them with accommodation within the city would improve their living conditions and help make Mumbai cleaner and healthier.
Shinde also asked the BMC to formulate a separate scheme to support the higher education of sanitation workers' children, encouraging them to pursue careers in fields such as medicine, engineering, law and architecture.
Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar said the distribution of keys to 140 flats at Panchsheel Nagar marked the beginning of the initiative to provide homes to 29,000 sanitation workers in Mumbai.
He described the project as an important step towards ensuring dignified accommodation for those responsible for keeping the city clean and healthy.
The two buildings at Panchsheel Nagar house 140 flats and are equipped with 10 lifts and other essential amenities. The complex also has clean surroundings, study facilities for children and spaces suited for various activities, Narwekar said.
The programme began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by an inspection of the newly constructed buildings.
Under the BMC's Ashray Yojana, 30 sanitation worker colonies are being redeveloped through 35 projects across three phases.
The plan includes 11,371 homes measuring 300 square feet and 773 homes measuring 600 square feet, taking the total to 12,144 homes.
The civic body aims to provide service accommodation to all its 29,000 sanitation workers.
Keys to the 140 flats at Panchsheel Nagar were distributed during the ceremony.
Five sanitation workers were to receive keys in a symbolic handover.
The names listed among the beneficiaries were Bharati Dhotre, Sachin Solanki, Vandana Goregaonkar, Shyamsingh Valmiki, Prashant Sawant and Satish Marchande.
