Punjabi Refugee Colony in Mumbai's Sion-Koliwada can finally be redeveloped

Residents of 25 buildings of the Punjabi Refugee Colony in Sion-Koliwada comprising around 1,500 tenements of the community heaved a sigh of relief on Thursday. The vacation bench of the Bombay High Court restrained the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) from taking any coercive action against their buildings for the time being.

According to the residents, the decision will help them go ahead with their plan to redevelop at least seven buildings, which were declared dangerous by the BMC.

Inderpal Singh Baagi, a resident of Prithvi Punjab Cooperative Housing Society in Sion-Koliwada, said that they have already published advertisements in newspaper for redevelopment of their buildings. "There are seven buildings under the Prithvi Punjab Cooperative Housing Society, and land of these buildings have been declared freehold by the state government," said Baagi. He added that the government's move will make it easier for them to redevelop.

Residents of these seven buildings have also appointed project management consultants to prepare a detailed plan for the redevelopment. "After receiving the consultant report, we published an advertisement to find interested developers," said Baagi. He added the developers can also collect tender documents from the society office. In these seven buildings, there are 336 flats and around 1,500 persons reside there.

In June 2017, the BMC had to call off its plan to disconnect water and electricity supply to the 25 buildings of the colony, as around 1,200 tenements of the community staged protests against the civic body's move. The BMC had already declared these buildings dangerous long ago, and had asked them to vacate it.

However, residents of these buildings do not want to move out as there is no concrete plan of redevelopment. They say that they are aware that these buildings have become dangerous to live in. But, where will they go if they vacate them.

Ravi Raja, Leader of Opposition, who is also championing the cause for redevelopment of these buildings, said, "We welcome the Bombay HC decision of restraining the BMC from taking any coercive action. As per my information, the state government has made land of these buildings freehold and they can be redeveloped now."

He added that the state government needs to formulate a policy that will end involvement of multiple agencies in redevelopment.