During the winter session of the Maharashtra Assembly in Nagpur, the state government unveiled a sweeping set of housing and redevelopment measures focused almost entirely on Mumbai, even as leaders from Vidarbha criticised the move as yet another example of regional neglect. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde used the session to announce reforms aimed at unblocking stalled redevelopment and slum rehabilitation projects across the city, particularly in the run-up to major local body elections.
Fadnavis introduced a new “Housing for All” scheme designed to revive long-pending redevelopment work in Mumbai’s western suburbs, where stringent height restrictions imposed by the Funnel Zone, the Juhu Military Station and the Kandivali–Malad Central Ordnance Depot have paralysed construction. Under the scheme, developers will receive free FSI amounting to 300 square feet for EWS housing and free reconstruction of up to 600 square feet for LIG beneficiaries. To ensure financial viability, the state intends to deploy Transferable Development Rights as a key incentive.
One of the most consequential decisions is the relocation of High-Frequency Radar Centres at Dahisar and Juhu, whose presence currently limits building heights. The Dahisar radar will be shifted to Gorai, clearing a major bottleneck for redevelopment in the region. The government also announced that half of the Airports Authority of India land that will be vacated as part of these changes will be converted into a public garden.
Shinde had earlier announced a massive slum cluster redevelopment initiative for plots larger than 50 acres. Seventeen such locations have been identified in the first phase, including major clusters in Antop Hill and Chembur. The government plans to execute these under a joint-venture model aimed at moving Mumbai toward a slum-free future. As part of its support measures, the state extended the Slum Rehabilitation Authority’s Abhay Scheme until December 31, 2026, to help slum dwellers struggling with documentation issues. It also approved more Apex Grievance Redressal Committees to tackle over 2,100 pending complaints.
These Mumbai-centric decisions, however, sparked sharp criticism in Nagpur. Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar, representing Vidarbha, openly questioned the imbalance in development priorities and pointed out that the government had still not revived the Statutory Development Boards for Vidarbha, despite repeated demands over the past five years. Opposition leaders, including Uddhav Thackeray, accused the government of ignoring Vidarbha’s needs while issuing politically convenient announcements for Mumbai on the eve of elections. Thackeray further alleged that the ruling coalition was attempting to politically weaken Vidarbha and fragment Maharashtra.
The announcements arrive ahead of a high-stakes election season in the state, with polls due for 29 municipal corporations—including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation—32 zilla parishads and 336 panchayat samitis before the end of January, though the official schedule has yet to be released.
