India, March 17 -- After decades of living in cramped 160 sq ft chawl rooms, over 800 families of the Bombay Development Directorate (BDD) chawls at Naigaon, Dadar began receiving the keys to their new 2BHK homes on Monday, marking the first handover of redeveloped flats under the ambitious BDD redevelopment project.

The symbolic key distribution ceremony took place ahead of Gudi Padwa on March 19, which signifies new beginnings in Maharashtra. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde described the move as an "advance Gudi Padwa gift" for residents who have waited years for improved housing conditions.

The new flats, each measuring 500 sq ft carpet area, are part of the first phase of the redevelopment of...