The SSPPL had envisaged a total of eight lakh free houses for Mumbai's slum dwellers. Incentive to participate in the project had been entrusted to nine community development officers appointed by the SSPPL. Non-governmental organisations like YUVA and SPARC had also been roped in convince slum dwellers to participate. The company is to pay the NGOs for the service availed of.

``So far, the SSPPL has completed the Milind Nagar Cooperative Housing Society in Dharavi and has handed overactual possession of 78 houses,'' admitted Govind Swarup, managing director of SSPPL. He rattled off reams of figures to underscore the SSPPL's achievements: As of today, slumdwellers have handed in only 65 proposals covering 29,150 houses. A total of 62 private developers have submitted proposals (20,782 houses) to the company and of these, 35 proposals (12,005 houses) have been considered. On the other hand, the state government's Slum Redevelopment Authority has sanctioned 404 proposals (84,088 houses). Work in 35 schemes by private developers has started after SSPPL gave them financial assistance. About 25,000 houses will be constructed between March and December 2000. Work for projects entirely handled by SSPPL is on for 12,000 houses at different sites in Mumbai.

``The aim of the alliance government is not only to provide free housing, but to create an atmosphere for a massive slum rehabilitation programme and provide them an opportunity to live like human beings. Achieving the objective equallydepends upon the response from the slum dwellers.

Considering the problems involved and voluntary nature of work, it will not be proper to limit the success by certain houses provided in certain number of years,'' Swarup told Express Newsline.

The then chief minister Manohar Joshi and his cabinet had established the SSPPL on September 25, 1998. To raise money for the company, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority were made to cough up Rs 300 crore each. It was decided that the government would pay SSPPL as and when required. As of today, the company has received only Rs 115 crore, and SSPPL's applications demanding more money are gathering dust at Mantralaya.

The SSPPL work has also received a setback as the real estate market is still bearish. It was anticipated that falling land and property prices would make more buyers purchase ready-for-possession houses. But no private builders have been approaching the governmentfor projects under the SRD.