The state government will build houses in Mumbai at a reasonable price for Dabbawalas, who have been providing non-stop Dabba services to Mumbaikars for 130 years. In a meeting held on September 13, 2024, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the construction of 12,000 houses in Mumbai for people from the Dabbawala and Charmkar communities. An agreement was reached between the Dabbawala and Charmkar associations and Priyanka Homes Realty in this regard. According to this agreement, 12,000 houses will be built for people from both these communities.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on the occasion of Bhoomi Pujan for the Dabbawala Bhavan Experience Center in Mumbai on November 30, 2023, that he was keenly following the developments in the housing project for the Dabbawalas. Due to his unwavering attention, the project became ready for execution within a year, getting clearance from all related departments to build 12000 houses for the Dabbewala and the Charmakar communities in Mumbai. An agreement in this regard was recently signed between Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, heads of the Dabbawala Sanghatan, heads of the Charmakar (Leather Workers) Association, and Priyanka Homes Realty.
🏠 डब्बेवाल्यांना मिळणार हक्काची 12000 घरे 🏠
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) September 13, 2024
🔸MoU for 12000 houses in Mumbai for Dabbawalas and the Charmakar community
🔸मुंबई डब्बेवाला आणि चर्मकार समाज यांच्या हक्काच्या 12000 घरांसाठी सामंजस्य करार
🔸मुंबई डब्बेवाला और चर्मकार समाज इनके हक के 12000 घरों के लिए समझौता… pic.twitter.com/Qbic8qJQNS
The dabbawalas are often appreciated for their sincere service of delivering lunch on time. For nearly 130 years, this community has been serving Mumbaikars with hard work and punctuality, collecting dabbas from millions of homes in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The way they manage their logistics and network of people to collect, transport, and deliver lunchboxes with minimal technology, with a high level of accuracy and reliability, is commendable and a matter of study for many management companies. The news about this unique profession in Mumbai has reached many countries, including the Queen of England. Now in the age of technology, the dabbawala services can be made even better with higher accessibility and better communication and tracking facilities added through technology. The Dabbawala Experience Center was built with this motto, thanks to the initiatives of Devendra Fadnavis.
Dream of a house will be realized in 3 years!
The state government will build houses under the Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme for the Dabbawala and the Charmakar communities in Mumbai. For this, MHADA will act as the nodal agency. Priyanka Homes Realty has been offered 30 acres of land, spread on the central, western, and harbor lines, for this project. Naman Builder will construct houses on these lands on ‘no-profit-no-loss’.basis. About 12,000 homes of 500 sf. areas will be built in just 3 years, to be distributed to the Dabbawalas and Charmakars Rs 25 lakhs.
Devendraji fulfills his promise
During the discussion on various issues of dabbawalas in the Legislative Assembly, some members had demanded that the houses and other facilities should be provided to them at a reasonable price. At that time, Devendraji, while responding to this discussion in the Legislative Assembly, had promised to provide houses to dabbawalas in Mumbai at a reasonable price. That promise is on the way to being fulfilled soon.
Mumbai’s Global Dabbawalas
The news about Mumbai’s dabbawalas has reached the global level. Research is being done on them in various countries. Their management skills are being studied. However, that hasn’t affected their hard work and professionalism with which they play an important supportive role in maintaining Mumbai’s hectic and time-bound office environment. So, they deserve their homes in the city. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured them of all possible help from the government.
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