Though the MVA-led government had given a go ahead for completing the rehab portion for 672 tenants on February 2022 and asked MHADA to release rent to the tenants, the Patra Chawl tenants continue to be deprived, due to a difference of opinion between the new government and the tenants.
Mumbai: Over 250 to 300 original residents of Siddarth Nagar and Patra Chawl staged a protest at Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) headquarters on Wednesday, demanding the release of rent arrears for transit accommodation from January 2018 and signing a fresh agreement with the 672 tenants.
Though the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)-led government had given a go ahead for completing the rehab portion for 672 tenants on February 2022 and asked MHADA to release rent to the tenants, the Patra Chawl tenants continue to be deprived, due to a difference of opinion between the new Eknath Shinde-led government and the tenants.
“Our demand has always been that MHADA release rent stopped by Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) from January 2018 when the authority terminated the tripartite agreement with HDIL and tenants society. But MHADA is ready to release the rent only from March 2022. Several tenants are in dire financial condition and had to take loans to stay in rented premises after our homes were demolished. MHADA should take liability after the agreement was terminated and pay us rent from that month,” said Makarand Parab, one of the office bearers of the tenants society.
The MVA government had issued a government resolution (GR) with a plan to develop the 47-acre layout of the redevelopment project in Goregaon (West). Apart from the incomplete rehab tenements, three other private developers who purchased the land from HDIL and constructed sale buildings, the remaining plots in the layout are empty. The Uddhav Thackeray-led government had asked MHADA to bear the construction cost of rehab tenements and the rent arrears while it had drawn a plan to monetize these plots, which would not only cover the expenditure but earn some revenue for MHADA.
Accordingly, MHADA appointed Railcon as a contractor to complete the rehab buildings. “Though construction has been going on, MHADA has not signed an agreement with us specifying the amenities, possession date, rent to be given etc. That is not fair. They should first sign the agreement and then construct,” said another tenant.
The Patra Chawl issue is likely to be discussed in the ongoing winter session of state legislature in Nagpur.
Source : Hindus Times
