AAP denounces government's 2,000 slum regularization cut-off date

MUMBAI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday denounced the Maharashtra cabinet’s decision to extend the slum protection date from 1995 to 2000 as an election gimmick.
"The promise was there in the Congress’ 2003 election manifesto. Yet in 2004-05, the Congress-NCP government demolished over 90,000 huts. When the Ghar Bachao, Ghar Banao Andolan pointed to their promise, they brushed it aside saying it was a printing mistake.The NCP, BJP-Shiv Sena all remained silent," said a press release.
Even ‘Declaration of slum’ which is mandatory under section 4 & 5 of the Slum Act, 1971 has not happened in case of hundreds of slums in Mumbai. The press release mentions the case of the Golibar slum in Santa Cruz where the government gave a written promise that 21 settlements in Golibar will be given the status of slums within three months. Yet not one has been declared so far though the promise was reiterated by the chief minister and the Home minister in 2013.
The AAP said while 18% of the state’s population lives in the slums, there were no records for Mumbai. "The 2000 survey data with the collector’s office was lost in the Mumbai floods of 2005 is the reply we have received through Right to Information Act," said the press release.