Banglar Bari: Hakim to hand over keys to 90 apartments built for slum dwellers

Mayor Firhad Hakim will soon hand over the keys to 90 apartments built under the Banglar Bari scheme for the dwellers of the Sakal Deo Singh slum in the Parnasree area in Kolkata.

It is learnt that the Mayor will hand over the keys to the slum dwellers on April 26 evening. The newly constructed set of apartments named ‘Ananda Dham’ has 90 residences that have been built under the Banglar Bari scheme. The funds for the project were sanctioned by the state’s Urban Development and Municipal Affairs (UDMA) department and work was executed by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

A KMC official said that the slum development department has been assigned to undertake the “Affordable Housing Partnership (AHP) Project related to Banglar Bari for the benefit of economically weaker sections of the society”.

“We are hopeful to start some projects which are under pipeline in this financial year. Some more projects are also under active consideration of this department,” the official said.

It is further learnt that the KMC is hopeful for implementation of similar projects after identification of necessary and for extension of benefit to other parts of the city in the coming days.

This endeavour will continue for the sustainable development of city slum dwellers, it was pointed out.

Meanwhile, KMC has already started the second and final phase of rehabilitation work for the slum dwellers adjacent to Mayer Bari at Bagbazar in North Kolkata. Swapan Samaddar, Member Mayor-in-Council (MMIC) in charge of the slum development department of KMC, accompanied by Director General of the department and other senior officials, including local councillor Bapi Ghosh, recently visited the construction site and gave necessary directions regarding the work.

“Work has started in full swing and I have given a target of completing 5 blocks that will house 100 families in a year. Following this, the rest of the slum dwellers will be rehabilitated in the same manner in the next year,” Samaddar said.

The apartments that have been constructed and will come up in the second phase will be 230 sq feet with a bathroom, kitchen, balcony, dining space and one bedroom. During the first phase of work, flats have been provided to 80 families in 4 blocks.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic conditions had acted as a deterrent to the progress of the project. The total project will consist of 15 blocks that will house 300 families.