And, sources pin the reason on a jittery coalition fearing a backlash if things went the hyped SRD scheme in Mumbai.

The committee, headed by chief secretary P Subramaniam, was set up last year to find out if it was feasible to implement a slum redevelopment (SRD) or slum rehabilitation scheme in Nagpur on the lines of the SRD scheme in Mumbai. The committee after several sittings reached a conclusion that the problem in Nagpur demanded a scheme unlike that prescribed for Mumbai.

The committee, in its report, suggested a new scheme for Nagpur which wassubsequently submitted to the coalition government.

The committee, in fact, submitted a new scheme to the State Government but no decision has been taken in this connection. Sources in Mantralaya say that the government does not want to risk its credibility by announcing a scheme and not living up to the expectations.

The expert committee had identified 6,59,509 people staying in 1,15,904 shanties in 326 unauthorised slums in the city. Apart from this, 5,49,410 people stay in 99,150 houses in 280 notified slums in Nagpur. The committee recommended that a house admeasuring 30 sq mts would be ideal for an SRD scheme in the city. The committee, after meticulous calculations, estimated that the proposed house be priced at Rs 51,252.

``The problem in Nagpur is, land and accommodation is available at outskirts of Nagpur at affordable prices. So the builders might not come forward to implement the SRD scheme and probably, there could be difficulties in finding prospective buyers for buildings constructed underthe scheme,'' a Housing department official told The Indian Express. Understanding this fact very well, the expert committee has recommended several sops for the builders in Nagpur.

To circumvent these reservations and attract builders to the SRD scheme, the committee envisaged six major changes in the Development Control Rules for Nagpur. The committee proposed a reduction of distance between two buildings to 3 mts from 4.5 mts. Also, the back-to-back distance between two buildings be cut down to 3 mts from 5 mts. It has also been recommended that the number of houses per hectare should be increased to 494 from 198.

The committee has also proposed a substantial increase in permissible floor space index (FSI) for builders participating in the SRD scheme. Then the committee also recommended that the open plots in the city layout be reduced to 5 per cent from existing 15 per cent.

Other than opening up a literal bonanza for Nagpur builders, poor slumdwellers could see themselves in more humanconditions if Chief Minister Manohar Joshi and Housing minister Suresh Jain were to take a quick decision on the issue.