Mumbai, Jul 17 (PTI) The Maharashtra government is committed to bringing back Marathi speaking families who were forced to leave Mumbai due to lack of affordable housing, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Thursday.

Replying to a debate under Rule 293 in the assembly, Shinde said the Mahayuti government is undertaking a major urban transformation of Mumbai that will bring "historic changes" in the lives of its residents.

The state government has drafted a new housing policy to construct 35 lakh affordable homes with an investment of Rs 70,000 crore. The homes will be environmentally sustainable and cater to economically weaker sections, Shinde said.

"We are fulfilling the long-pending dream of common citizens to own a home in Mumbai. The city's makeover is being done in the true sense during the tenure of the Mahayuti government," he said.

A total of 556 flats in Worli under the BDD chawl redevelopment project will be allotted by August 15, with 25 per cent of homes set to be distributed by December this year, he said, adding the project will ultimately benefit 15,600 tenants.

In Motilal Nagar in Goregaon and GTB Nagar, redevelopment work has been initiated, benefitting over 4,900 residents.

In Kamathipura's Abhyudaya Nagar, the tendering process for group housing redevelopment is underway and expected to be completed by September 2025, benefiting over 11,000 tenants, Shinde said in the House.

Other cluster redevelopment initiatives in Adarsh Nagar (Worli), Bandra Reclamation, and Naigaon are also progressing, while MMRDA has floated tenders for rehabilitating 6,144 slum dwellers in Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar under Phase 1 of the Eastern Freeway extension project, he said.

"The government will increase housing stock for Mumbai's mill workers, many of whom have moved outside the city due to rising costs. A dedicated app has been developed to register mill workers, and a total of 1.74 lakh workers have been identified. Of these, 13,161 homes have already been allotted in four MHADA-run lottery phases," Shinde said.

Homes for another one lakh workers are being planned across seven sites in MMR under the affordable housing scheme, the deputy CM added.

Shinde reiterated the Dharavi redevelopment project is a flagship initiative of the government and a step towards building 'smart Mumbai'.

Describing it as one of the largest slum redevelopment projects in the world, he said the project would rehabilitate around 72,000 families.

"This is not just infrastructure development, but a model for employment, education, healthcare, and social harmony," Shinde asserted.

During his tenure as CM, amendments to the BMC Act 1888 enabled the completion of pending SRA projects, he said.

These changes will benefit 40 lakh slum dwellers, fulfilling the dream of Balasaheb Thackeray of a slum-free Mumbai, Shinde added.

Road concretization drive is ongoing on in the city and complaints about potholes in incomplete zones are being addressed, he told the assembly.

A zonal agency system is in place under the BMC, and the cost of pothole repair has been cut by 50 per cent this year, he said.

A dedicated online portal for complaints has been launched, and IIT Bombay has been roped in for technical assistance. Shinde added.

Under the 'Hinduruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Aapla Dawakhana' initiative, Rs 1,106 crore will be spent over four years to provide primary healthcare and diagnostic services across the state, Shinde informed. PTI MR BNM