MHADA Appoints Rustomjee Group For Redevelopment Of GTB Nagar Homes For Sindhi Refugee Families

The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has appointed Keystone Realtors (Rustomjee Group) as the Construction and Development Agency for the redevelopment of 25 buildings belonging to Sindhi refugee families at Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar (GTB Nagar), Sion Koliwada. The Letter of Intent (LOI) was formally handed over to the developer today by MHADA Vice President and CEO Sanjeev Jaiswal.

The event, held at MHADA Headquarters in Bandra (East), was marked by the hopeful presence of numerous residents who have long awaited a permanent home.

The GTB Nagar colony, spread over approximately 11.20 acres, originally housed around 1,200 families. Constructed in 1958 for post-independence migrants, the buildings were declared unsafe by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in 2020 and were subsequently demolished. Following this, the affected residents had to seek alternative accommodation on their own. In response to consistent appeals made by the tenant societies, the State Government approved the redevelopment of the site through MHADA, despite the land being privately owned.

The State Cabinet, in its meeting held on 14 February 2024, approved the redevelopment proposal through the appointment of a Construction and Development Agency under Regulation 33(9) of the Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR). A corresponding Government Resolution was issued on 23 February 2024, designating MHADA as the Special Planning Authority for the execution of this project.

As per the proposal submitted by MHADA, a minimum floor space index (FSI) of 4.5 will be available including fungible area, ensuring each eligible family receives a free home measuring 635 sq. ft. Additionally, MHADA will receive 25,700 square meters of built-up space as housing stock.

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Speaking at the event, Jaiswal said that this is the first redevelopment project being executed by MHADA on private land through an appointed construction and development agency. He termed it a historic and model redevelopment initiative. Jaiswal has instructed the agency to prepare a master plan and assured close monitoring of project progress. A 5 to 7-member committee comprising society representatives will be constituted to oversee and review project updates. He also directed that the rehabilitation of 1,200 affected residents be given top priority. MHADA will extend all necessary support for the timely completion of this project.

Legal petitions related to this project had reached the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court’s landmark judgment in this case has paved the way for MHADA to undertake similar projects in the future. Post-redevelopment, MHADA will provide five years of maintenance charges and monthly rent of Rs 20,000 until completion.