MUIP – MUTP Displaced starting Hunger strike protest at Vashi Nakka from July 2nd
demanding restoration of livelihood and better amenities at rehabilitation sites.
MMRDA Vasahat Nagarik Seva Sangh, a federation of various housing cooperative housing societies resettled at Vashi Nakka, Chembur has decided to start a hunger strike protest demanding restoration of livelihood and demanding better amenities in the rehabilitation sites.
The federation has resorted to protest after various meetings with officials failed and various promises given to the federation are still unimplemented.
More than 50,000 families have been displaced with various development projects in Mumbai and are being resettled in more than 25 rehabilitation sites in Mumbai. The Mumbai Urban Transport Project funded by World Bank alone displaced about 20,000 families in Mumbai. The World Bank had earlier suspended its funding to the Project expressing concern over the rehabilitation of the project affected people but withdrew the suspension two years ago on July 1st, 2006.
The situation in the rehabilitation site has not changed much since then and the two major issues of transportation and livelihood have not been adequately addressed.
A recent report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on resettlement of 9,000 Project Affected People (PAP) under the MUTP describes the whole process as a ‘recycling of poverty’ for several families. The report states that liabilities have increased with people having to shell out more for house maintenance, transport, electricity and health. At the same time, displacement has led to loss of supplementary jobs like hawking or house help due to the lack of easy accessibility at the sites.
The housing federation is demanding implementation of the transport policy, urgent efforts for livelihood compensation and restoration, market place in the site, street lighting, Community hall, school and health facilities, prevention of leakage of buildings and toilets, exemption from property and other taxations etc.
Kindly join the protests at Vashi Nakka (Anik) rehabilitation site, Chembur at 9.30 am….
Sanjay More Vijay Salvekar Chandramani Kadam
(President) (Exe President) (Secretary)
Yuvaraj Bhansode Promod Kokamkar
(Vice President) (Advisor)
Contact: Vijay Salvekar – 9892278231
Chandramani Kadam: 9221114999
Maju Varghese – 9869708076
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Maju Varghese
Program Co-ordinator
Housing & Basic Services
YUVA:Youth for Unity & Voluntary Action
52/53, Narepark Municipal School,
Opp Narepark Ground,
Parel, Mumbai- 400 012
Tel: 91-22-24116393/ 94
Fax: 91-22-24135314
