Provide houses to migrants in Mumbai, demands Mayawati

In a demand that is bound to raise the hackles of parties like Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray-led MNS, UP chief minister Mayawati today asked the Maharashtra government to provide houses to migrants, including those from north India, in the city.

The BSP leader was addressing a party meeting at suburban Goregaon.

"A large number of people from all over the country, specially those from north India, have come to Mumbai to earn their living, settled here and built huts. You say Mumbai has been defaced due to these slums. I wish to tell the state government here to provide them jobs before relocating them out of Mumbai," she said.

"Those, who have come to seek their bread and butter, have not built palaces here. Wherever they have found employment, they are staying in slums in the area," the UP chief minister said.

She added, "In these slums, they do not get basic amenities like water, electricity, education or health care. I have come to know that the Congress-led government in Maharashtra plans to demolish the slums and throw people living there out of Mumbai," she said.

"I wish to convey to the state government that these slum dwellers should be provided employment before evicting them out of Mumbai. And if you don’t have resources to provide them livelihood, then I will advise the government to build high-rises and provide them two-room houses in those buildings, in the same area so that their employment avenues are protected," Mayawati said. 

When parties come to power with the help of big capitalists, then these parties prepare their economic policies in a way that will benefit these capitalists, she said.

"This is the reason why the poor in this country are getting poorer and the rich richer," the BSP leader said.

She claimed that in the entire country, that the BSP was the only party, which ran, not on aid from capitalists, but through contributions from the people. We want to come to power at the Centre and have pro-people policies, she added.