- *NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE’S MOVEMENTS*
- *National Office : *6/6 Jangpura B, New Delhi – 110 014 . Phone : 011 2437
- 4535 | 9818905316
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- *Press
- Release
- 25.05.2014*
- *RELAY FAST BY EVICTED SLUM DWELLERS AND SUPPORTERS CONTINUES *
- *HUNDREDS AFFECTED BY ISSUES OF SRA, LAND, FOREST LAND AND DEVELOPMENT JOIN
- THE STRUGGLE.*
- At Dr. Babaseheb Nagar, 90 Feet Road, Mulund East, Mumbai relay fast
- continues even after 5 days. Today’s fasting persons including 7 slum
- dwellers – Ms. Sugvanti Pal, Mr. Omprakash Verma and others representing
- 130 families whose houses were demolished on 20th of May. Along with them
- on fast are Ms. Lakshi Thagunna and Mr. Gulab Yadav of AAM AADMI PARTY.
- Hundreds of supporters have been participating in the sit in and fast in
- protest against illegal and brutal eviction of Dalit and other toiler
- families by the Congress – NCP Government of Maharashtra, breaching its
- false pre election promise of providing housing to all pre-2000 families in
- slums of Mumbai.
- The poor toilers are therefore raising a voice with all documents, and the
- same would soon become a voice of all those, numbering in lacs, who are
- being cheated by the politician, bureaucrats and the builders who in hands
- and gloves with each other.
- The story of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagar began in 1996 when government
- land was allotted to the co-op soc. with former bureaucrats and others as
- members. The allotment with the conditions to accommodate six hundreds
- families who were residing on same land, which was to be apart of the
- co-operative project as slum rehabilitation under slum act 1971. However
- the people raised various issues realizing a fraud in decisions taken
- without holding proper general body meeting with slum dwellers as required
- under the Act. They also pointed out that the transit camps provided were
- built on the plot reserved for recreation ground. They demanded that all
- slum dwellers families should be covered in the scheme and the government
- also reserved 249 houses for project affected people (PAP’s) in the scheme
- of co-op. societies. When the issues were not resolved, a long and strong
- struggle led to the enquiry by a single man commission appointed under the
- Principle Secretary, Housing, Mr. Chakraverty, as decided by non else the
- Chief Minister and Home Minister of Maharashtra.
- It is also known that the Congress NCP government has resolved and passed
- notification dated may 02nd 2014 granting housing right to all families
- living in the slum since prior to 2000. To demolish pre-1995 and also
- pre-2000 houses, some even without giving a notice, as has happened in Dr.
- Ambedkar Nagar is therefore both illegal and unjust.
- Even before the recommendations by the enquiry commission are implemented,
- the houses of the 130 poor families including dalits, were demolished. The
- indefinite struggle began at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagar is now drawing
- the supporters from other slum in Mumbai. The development issues faced by
- MHADA Colony, communities on the forest land, MMRDA resettlement colonies
- and those who are kept with no permission for development under the garb of
- CRZ or no development zone.
- Irrespective of which party, thousands of these affected families are voted
- for, they all are now with the AAM AADMI PARTY and GHAR BACHAO GHAR BANAAO
- ANDOLAN (NAPM) who are playing the role of only political force,
- challenging the anti-poor policies and the system itself.
- The struggle will be taken ahead by thousands who claim their right to (a)
- Land on which they are residing since years (b) Redevelopment with self
- initiative and in situ plan (c) regularization of colonies located on old
- forest land or CRZ land (d) colonies located on salt pan land and (e) Rajiv
- Aawas Yojna for all the slums with right to property and whole slums
- approach. People also demand pre-distribution of Land above the old urban
- ceiling limit to the poor and middle class communities.
- We appeal to the citizens who are sensitive to the issues of land and
- housing rights to join and support the cause.
- Poonam Kannojiya Sumit Wajale
- ) Ali Shaikh
- )
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