Maharashtra govt proposes township project for Mumbai Police, sets up committee

Mumbai, Oct 10 (PTI) The Maharashtra government on Friday announced the formation of a committee to study the ambitious Mumbai Police Housing Township Project to provide housing to over 45,000 constables and officers in the city.

Under the plan, residential quarters will be built for police on 75 plots across the metropolis.

The home department issued a Government Resolution (GR) or order to form a 15-member high-level committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Iqbal Singh Chahal to study the project and submit recommendations.

Under the proposed project, the government plans to construct houses for 40,000 constabulary members, 5,000 police sub-inspectors and inspectors, as well as senior officers.

As per the GR, a police sub-inspector will be entitled to a 45 square metre house, while senior officers will be eligible for houses ranging from 60 to 120 sq mt and above.

Mumbai police commissioner Deven Bharti, municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and additional chief secretary Ashwini Bhide will be part of the committee along with senior officials from the PWD, Housing, Finance, and Planning departments, Managing Director of Police Housing Corporation, District collectors of the city and suburbs, and others.

Shortage of affordable houses in the city for police, especially the constabulary, has long been an intractable problem.

Mumbai Police, which came into existence in 1856 during the British era, is one of the country's oldest and most esteemed police forces.

It has the responsibility of maintaining law and order in India's financial capital whose current population exceeds 1.3 crore.

At present, the strength of Mumbai Police is 51,308. The force operates through 94 police stations, five local arms divisions and several other specialized branches.

But there are only 19,762 residential quarters available for police personnel, all of which are occupied. Of these, 16,958 quarters measure between just 100 and 300 square feet and are located in old British-era buildings, officials said.

Almost half the police personnel travel between 80 to 100 km daily from as far as Karjat, Kasara, Raigad and Palghar to reach their workplace, they said, adding that the long commute affects punctuality as well as morale.

Police commissioner Deven Bharti had recently said efforts were on to ensure that constable-level personnel get 500 sq ft houses on joining service. PTI DC KRK