Tenders for affordable homes in Panvel to be floated in December

The Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has been planning to build around 2,418 homes at affordable rates at seven different locations under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme. The step is an attempt by the PCMC to make the city slum-free and better the infrastructure. This will reportedly be achieved by widening roads in certain areas after relocating the slum inhabitants. Work is expected to start immediately after gaining approval from the central government and the nodal agency, Mhada. Multi-storey buildings will be built at a cost of Rs 2.66 billion. These subsidised houses will reportedly come up in Valmiki Nagar slum plot, Patel Mohalla, Kachchi Mohalla, Mahakali Nagar, hostel plot near Valmiki Nagar, Valmiki Nagar open plot and Tapal Naka open plot. According to reports, detailed project reports (DPR) are being prepared for submission. Mhada’s approval is expected to come by the middle of October, followed by the central government clearance in November. The tenders are to be floated in December, and construction work is reportedly to start from January next year. 368 hutments in Laxmi Vasahat will be shifted to Valmiki Nagar and Tapal Naka due to works on road widening. An amount of Rs 100,000 will be kept aside for maintaining these subsidised homes. As reported, 1,351 hutments in old Panvel township will be rehabilitated and relocated under PMAY. Out of the 2,418 flats, the first DPR includes 632 units. Based on the second DPR, the remaining 1,786 flats will be developed in Kachchi Mohala and Patel Mohalla. Apart from these, 44 commercial units will reportedly come up in Valmiki Nagar and 157 flats will be built in Mahakali Nagar and Tapal Naka.