29 June,2026 12:34 PM IST | Mumbai | Ronak Mastakar
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Pic/X
Deputy Chief Minister and Housing Minister Eknath Shinde said the Maharashtra government is accelerating long-pending housing and redevelopment projects with the aim of ensuring timely delivery of homes and advancing its vision of making Thane and Mumbai slum-free.
Speaking at the key handover ceremony for members of the Jai Bhavani Cooperative Housing Society in Sainath Nagar under Thane's Majiwada Circle, Shinde said providing every family with a safe and quality home remains one of the government's priorities.
"A home is not merely four walls; it is a place of warmth, love, happiness, and the dreams of a family. My goal is to ensure that every family gets a safe and quality home," he said.
Addressing beneficiaries, Shinde said the government has prioritised resolving issues that have delayed redevelopment and housing projects across the state after he assumed charge as Housing Minister.
He said administrative and procedural hurdles affecting long-pending projects would be addressed to ensure that eligible beneficiaries receive possession of their homes without unnecessary delays.
Reflecting on his political journey, Shinde said he had served in several public offices, including corporator, MLA, minister, Chief Minister, Leader of the Opposition and now Deputy Chief Minister, adding that the support of the people of Thane had been instrumental throughout his career. He said handing over the keys to new homes gives him immense satisfaction and reaffirmed the government's commitment to helping citizens realise their dream of home ownership.
Shinde said the government is giving significant emphasis to cluster redevelopment projects in urban areas. According to him, several redevelopment works, including projects in Wagle Estate, are nearing completion.
He also said work has begun on a large-scale cluster redevelopment project comprising around 17,000 homes at Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar in Mumbai. Such projects, he added, are expected to contribute to the government's broader objective of eliminating slums in Mumbai and Thane.
The Housing Minister said the government is working to ensure that eligible citizens receive well-constructed homes with a carpet area of 300 square feet, enabling them to live with dignity. He also appreciated developer Kataria for maintaining construction quality in the Jai Bhavani Cooperative Housing Society project.
Shinde acknowledged that the housing project had taken several years to complete and thanked all stakeholders for their cooperation in bringing it to completion.
Quoting the phrase, "Better late than never," he said the project was completed because of the collective efforts of all those involved.
He also issued a strong message to developers, saying future housing projects should be completed within three years instead of taking nearly a decade.
"New housing projects should not take nine years to complete. Going forward, projects must be completed within three years. The government will entrust future projects only to developers who deliver quality work within the stipulated time," he said.
