Mumbai: The dabbawalas of Mumbai have demanded 10% reservation in MHADA housing across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai. Claiming that the state government’s housing scheme for dabbawalas in Dive-Anjur will be inconvenient for the community, the Mumbai Dabbewala Association has demanded reservation and provision for affordable housing along with easy loan for housing.
An example of excellence in service, the dabbawalas of Mumbai which are known for being graded as ‘Six Sigma’ by the Harvard Business School, have demanded reservation for themselves in the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) housing schemes. On Saturday, the Mumbai Dabbewala Association announced their demand to receive 10% reservation in every MHADA housing scheme across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai.
Earlier, the dabbawalas and shoemakers had met deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at his official residence, where he announced 12,000 houses in an area of 46 acres in Thane’s Dive-Anjur village. The housing scheme under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana was ordered to be facilitated by MHADA through a public private partnership model, to provide sellable 500 sq ft homes to the dabbawalas.
However, the dabbawalas’ association has claimed that this scheme in Dive-Anjur in Bhiwandi taluka will be inconvenient for the community as the dabbawalas primarily live around Virar, Kalyan, Navi Mumbai, Vasai, Thane Dombivali, Borivali, Ghatkopar and Andheri.
Subhash Talekar, president of Mumbai Dabbewala Association, said, “If the Maharashtra government provides a house to the dabbawalas at Dive-Anjur, it will be inconvenient for the workers from Virar, Borivali and Andheri. If the government provides a house at Virar, then it will be inconvenient for the workers from Thane, Dombivli and Ghatkopar. Rather, we request the government to give 10% reservation wherever houses are constructed by MHADA so that a house can be available on the railway line where the dabbawala works.”
The association has claimed that by receiving reservation in all MHADA schemes, the dabbawalas working on the western, central and harbour lines can benefit by getting a house in the scheme around that railway line.
The association has also demanded that MHADA should provide them houses for Rs. 8 to 10 lakhs and that amount should be covered under home loan from a bank as the dabbawalas fall into the very-low income group. The association has claimed that only after these demands are met, the dabbawalas will be able to get a house in Mumbai.
