CIDCO to finally survey PAP’s garjepoti houses, calls tenders

CIDCO calls for tenders to survey 'garjepoti' houses of Navi Mumbai Project Affected Persons, raising concerns among PAPs over delayed response and election timing.

NAVI MUMBAI: The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has finally called tenders to conduct a survey of ‘garjepoti’ houses of Project Affected Persons (PAP) of Navi Mumbai, two years after a state government notification to regularise such constructions. The PAPs, however, are wary of the delayed response and have demanded a detailed explanation about the purpose of the survey and the action proposed.

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CIDCO has called for e-tenders to provide geospatial services for developing Garjepoti Scheme Information Management System (GSIMS) in 95 villages of Thane and Raigad district. The survey, to be completed in 180 days, will cost around ₹50 crore. There are reportedly around 50,000 such PAP houses in the region.

The Garjepoti scheme was announced on February 25, 2022, and covers PAPs of 95 villages whose land was acquired by CIDCO in 1970 to develop Navi Mumbai. PAPs were promised 12.5% developed land in lieu of the land acquired from them for development of Navi Mumbai. They, however, say that they were forced to construct additional houses to accommodate their growing families, as the allotment of compensatory land was delayed for years. The demand for regularisation of these ‘need-based’ houses has been pending for decades with the third generation of PAPs in existence now.

The calling of tenders at this juncture, close to the impending assembly elections, has raised questions and allegations of vote bank politics and favouring of a private entity.

Nilesh Patil, president of Agri Koli Youth Foundation, said, “There is a major trust deficit. PAPs are remembered every time there is an election. This time CIDCO has given a fancy GSIMS name to the survey and is outsourcing it despite having the expertise to do it itself. CIDCO had earlier sent many notices to PAPs, so obviously they have substantial data.”

He also said that before starting the survey, CIDCO should adopt IEC (Information, Education and Communication) strategy to assure PAPs of its intention - what it proposes to do and how PAPs will benefit from it. “This will ensure that PAPs cooperate with the surveyors and there is no fear of action against them, or misuse of the data collected.”

While CIDCO refused to give an official statement on the survey, an official on condition of anonymity, said, “The final government order on regularisation is expected before the code of conduct comes into effect, as the policy is being finalised based on the suggestions and objections received with respect to rented and commercial properties among other things. The data from this survey will provide the details of the actual number of such houses and buildings, areas, population, etc.”

In February 2022, when the then MVA government with Eknath Shinde as the urban development minister announced the decision to regularise constructed houses on need basis on encroached land, around 4,000 PAPs reportedly applied for regularisation. CIDCO officials inspected some of those houses and prepared proposals to regularise the land on which the houses were constructed. But, thereafter, no further action was taken.