Ownership of police colony houses for Mumbai cops? Govt panel to study feasibility

Mumbai, Jan 6 (PTI) The Maharashtra government has formed a committee to explore the feasibility of transferring ownership of houses in police colonies in Mumbai to officers and constables in view of the shortage of service quarters, officials said on Tuesday.

The state home department issued a government resolution (GR) constituting an eight-member panel to make policy decisions on January 1.

The committee will be headed by the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the Home Department and will include the ACS of the General Administration Department (GAD), Finance Department and Public Works Department (PWD), the Principal Secretary (Special) of the Home Department, the Additional Director General of Police (Administration), the Joint Commissioner of Police (Administration), and the Deputy Secretary or Joint Secretary of the Home Department.

The government is examining all legal, technical, and financial aspects to explore ownership rights for police officers and employees under a housing scheme, an official said.

The Mumbai Police force comprises 51,308 personnel, 94 police stations, five local arms divisions, and several specialised branches.

Despite being regarded as one of the finest police forces in the country, a large section of the force faces housing distress due to a shortage of service quarters, the official said.

All 19,762 houses meant for police personnel are currently occupied. Of these, 16,958 units measure between 100 and 300 square feet and are located in British-era buildings. Around 1,601 quarters for the constabulary have an area of 45 square metres, while 1,203 houses are comparatively larger.

Nearly 50 per cent of police personnel travel between 80 and 100 kilometres daily from extended suburbs such as Thane, Karjat, Kasara, Navi Mumbai, Virar, Palghar, and Raigad to their places of duty, he said.

In October last year, the Home Department formed a 15-member high-level committee under the ACS (Home) to study a housing township project for the Mumbai Police, under which more than 45,000 police constables and officers would be allotted houses on 75 plots across Mumbai. PTI DC NSK