Officials say relocation for Anna Bhau Sathe memorial in Ghatkopar will be voluntary amid residents’ protest
Residents of Chirag Nagar in Ghatkopar West raise slogans against the Slum Rehabilitation Authority, on January 4. PIC/ASHISH RAJE
Even as plans for a major memorial and public institute in Chirag Nagar, Ghatkopar, move closer to execution, Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) officials insist they will not forcibly evict residents protesting the project, saying relocation will proceed only with consent, even as the redevelopment remains stalled and uncertainty grips the neighbourhood.
Meanwhile, information accessed by mid-day reveals the full scope of the redevelopment project planned for the area and the public infrastructure proposed for locals. Classified as a Vital Project under the SRA and backed by a government resolution for funding, the project is said to be ready for execution once residents vacate the plot.
The plan
Under the plan, Chirag Nagar residents will be completely relocated to make way for two major projects to be developed in phases. The first is a walk-through memorial dedicated to Anna Bhau Sathe, a writer and social activist who lived in the area for much of his life.
An SRA official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said large-scale vertical development is not feasible in the area due to its strategic location. “High-rise construction is not possible because the Navy depot lies across Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg and the area also falls within the funnel zone of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport,” the official said.
Keeping these constraints in mind, the plan proposes preserving the writer’s house and developing a memorial with a landscaped walk-through garden around it, where several homes currently stand. On the side facing LBS Marg, authorities plan to construct the Sahitya Ratna Anna Bhau Sathe Research and Training Institute, which is proposed to offer free coaching for competitive examinations to children from the area, along with a digital library accessible to the public.
Local opposition
Residents have opposed the relocation, despite being offered permanent rehabilitation homes nearby. Under existing policy, only families residing on the ground floor of structures in Chirag Nagar are eligible for rehabilitation housing. Families living on the first or second floors are classified as illegal occupants and will not receive homes. SRA officials believe this eligibility criterion is a major reason behind the resistance. They also claim that some residents may be reluctant to move because the rehabilitation homes offered could be smaller than their current dwellings.
Information accessed by mid-day suggests that these concerns have fuelled fears among residents that once they vacate the land, it may eventually be handed over to private contractors for development instead of being used for the memorial.
On the issue of ongoing land litigation, SRA officials said any compensation arising from land acquisition would be deposited with the court until the case is resolved, after which the amount would be released to the party that succeeds.
While residents maintain that they do not want to move, SRA officials claim that nearly 90 per cent of families are willing to relocate but are hesitant to state this publicly due to pressure from others in the settlement.
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