Vadodara: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has decided to drop a housing scheme for the urban poor at Sama pond in the city. The decision was taken as the site was not feasible for the project to be taken up under the public-private partnership mode.The civic body had recently razed 361 dwellings as well as around 30 shops around the Sama pond. The civic body plans to develop a flag park at the site that will have small flags of all countries of the world and the Tricolour on a high mast touted to be the largest in the country. All persons whose homes were razed were given houses in the VMC's schemes for the urban poor. While the VMC had taken a decision of beautifying the pond, on paper a scheme for resettlement of slums at the site itself, had existed.The slums that were to be rehabilitated at the site itself included Driver Falia, Bathujinagar and Marvadi Mohallo. The scheme was to be taken up under the Mukhyamantri Gruh Yojana with the builder making homes for the slum dwellers on a part of the land and using the remaining for commercial purposes.It later came to light that after leaving space around the pond as per the Gujarat high court's directives as well as after leaving space for a 24meter road and margins for it, the housing project would become non-viable.In wake of the situation, the VMC administration decided to drop the project and accommodate residents from there elsewhere. The VMC administration put a proposal in this regard before the standing committee. The standing committee did not decide on the proposal at its meeting held on Thursday.

Stay updated with all the Latest Vadodara headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.