Maha requisitions pvt properties for homeless

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, March 29

The Maharashtra government has started requisitioning private property such as plots, marriage halls, schools and vacant buildings to house homeless people and migrant labourers with an objective to put an end to the movement of people within and outside the state.

Officials say so far, 163 centres have been set up across the state. “District collectors across Maharashtra have already identified plots, marriage halls, private and government schools etc which can be turned into shelters for homeless people and migrant labourers. We are also trying to get management of factories to accommodate their employees on the premises,” a state government official said.

Don’t leave state: CM

Mumbai: Assuring that migrant labourers will be taken care of, CM Uddhav Thackeray has said basic necessities like food and water will be made available to them. The ‘Shiv Bhojan’ scheme offering meal at Rs 10 will now be available at Rs 5 from April 1, he said. PTI

Sources say the government has invoked emergency provisions under the Epidemic Act, 1897, to acquire private property for the purpose. According to information available from various district headquarters, the Navi Mumbai administration is requisitioning CIDCO Exhibition Centre to house the migrants. Private buildings in Kalamboli are also being taken over by the government.

The townships of Navi Mumbai, and Panvel and Pimpri Chinchwad in Pune are home to a large number of industrial estates employing thousands of labourers on daily wage basis. With no money in hand in the wake of Covid outbreak, the daily wagers have been wanting to return to their homes.

On Saturday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray asked the police and district officials to seal both state and district borders to disrupt the march of locals. Besides this, police and home guards have been posted at various checkpoints to turn away people seen walking on the highways and direct them to a nearby shelter.