In a significant relief for lower-ranking personnel of the Mumbai Police, the state government has approved a proposal to allot a minimum 538 sq ft official residence to police constables and sub-inspectors. The proposal, submitted by Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, has now been accepted and a Government Resolution (GR) has been issued.
The Mumbai Police force comprises over 40,000 constables. To ensure that every eligible officer receives official housing, the Maharashtra Police Housing and Welfare Corporation has been constructing residential buildings across the city. Until now, constables and sub-inspectors were entitled to 45 sq metres (484 sq ft) of housing in Mumbai, while their counterparts posted elsewhere in the state received 50 sq metres (538 sq ft).
Commissioner Deven Bharti had recommended that this discrepancy be eliminated and that Mumbai police personnel also be provided 50 sq metre housing units. With the state government approving this proposal, personnel from constable to sub-inspector rank will now be eligible for 538 sq ft official residences in Mumbai.
There is currently an acute shortage of police housing in Mumbai, forcing many personnel to commute long distances from Karjat, Kasara, Kalyan, Virar and Palghar to reach their place of duty. The few official quarters available to them range between just 180 and 220 sq ft, and many of these buildings are in extremely poor condition. Some have deteriorated to such an extent that they had to be vacated.
Earlier, the Public Works Department (PWD) was responsible for constructing police housing. However, due to the poor condition of these buildings, the responsibility was handed over to the Maharashtra Police Housing and Welfare Corporation. The corporation has so far constructed around 38,000 houses for police personnel across the state.