MUMBAI, May 21: Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's ambitious plan to provide free houses to 40 lakh slumdwellers in the metropolis is likely to get a major boost as a leading Non-Resident Indian (NRI) has agreed in principle to develop Asia's biggest slum Dharavi into a modern township in a time-bound period.

``Though the proposal is in a preliminary stage, the Marathi-speaking NRI has accepted it as a challenge to provide tenements to 50,000 slumdwellers in Dharavi. We have asked him to give us a project report so that we can take a decision on it at the earliest,'' Housing and Slum Improvement Minister Chandrakant Khaire told Express Newsline.

During the initial talks, the NRI indicated that while he proposes to construct a shopping complex, small industrial township and tenements for slumdwellers, he has made it clear he would hold discusions with officials of the rank of secretary and above, Khaire said. ``Once he submits the project report to the government, the same will be placed before Thackeray for approval,'' Khaire pointed out.

Khaire said now a large number of builders have come forward on their own to participate in the scheme.

``Though so far we have been able to hand over 1189 tenements, in the current year, it should not be difficult to provide more than 62,000 tenements as a record number of 287 proposals have been approved by the Slum Redevelopment Authority headed by Chief Minister Manohar Joshi,'' he said, adding, in the next three years, the government will be able to rehabilitate all slumdwellers (who have been registered before January 1, 1995) in the city.

The government has already revised the main condition of payment of Rs 20,000. ``Earlier, it was binding on the slumdweller to pay Rs 20,000 at the time of registration to the builder towards one time payment of maintenance. Now, the amount can be paid before taking possession of the flat,'' he said.

The scheme was labelled a pro-builder scheme, but the Sena-BJP government has succeeded in reducing prices of real estate by at least 40 per cent and in some cases even by 50 per cent.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.