Fight for the small red house

Three years ago, the CPM-led Left Front had won Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections by assuring slum dwellers of better amenities. Now, the civic body intends to replace the slums with “beautiful high-rises”.
Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya on Saturday mentioned this in his budget statement for the year 2008-2009. Beside promising better amenities to the slum dwellers, he offered flats to the “poorest people of the city”.

“The good news for the slum sector is that in the current year, we have been able to get slum renewal projects worth Rs 176.76 crore sanctioned from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission in New Delhi. With this fund, we shall construct beautiful high-rises with 8,980 flats,” Bhattacharya had said in his budget speech.

About one-third of Kolkata’s population lives in slums. In an attempt to win over this population, which is a major vote bank for KMC, the mayor in his budget speech said: “The slum renewal projects are being taken up in Rajarghat, Kacharipara, Hatgachia and Jalpara (ward number 58), in Anandanagar (ward number 59) and in Garden Reach (ward number 138). Construction of a major portion of the project has already been ordered.” Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has said work will start shortly at Dhapa and Garden Reach. “The beneficiaries will have to pay a part of the construction cost,” he added. A the municipal board member said the projects could be carried out jointly with private partners. The Opposition in KMC, led by the Trinamool Congress, however, sees the decision as a move to grab the land of slum dwellers.

“The land is being sold in the name of helping the poor. While the slum dwellers might be accommodated on a portion of the developed plot, the remaining plot will be sold. It is going to help brokers and real estate promoters, not the poor people. People are already resisting the move at one of the proposed sites. We will raise the issue during the discussion on the budget at the Municipal House on March 18 and 19,” said Leader of Opposition Javed Ahmed Khan.