Bandra government colony residents to boycott voting over elusive private homes

On Sunday, four residents’ associations from the colony held a meeting to give firm shape to their campaign titled ‘No home, no vote’

Mumbai: Around 10,000 voter-residents of the government colony in Bandra have decided to boycott voting on May 20 as successive governments have failed to provide them ownership houses despite promises to the contrary and the formulation of a redevelopment plan over 10 years ago. On Sunday, four residents’ associations from the colony held a meeting to give firm shape to their campaign titled ‘No home, no vote’.

Bandra govt colony residents to boycott on voting over elusive pvt homes

Built in 1959, the government colony houses around 5,000 quarters for class 1, 2, 3 and 4 state government employees. As per old records, the colony was spread over 125 acres, but around 35 acres was under encroachment.

Most houses in the colony are in dilapidated condition, and residents have been demanding repairs or alternative housing for years. Around ten years ago, the state government formulated a redevelopment plan for around 90 acres in the colony – it envisaged a complex of the Bombay high court spread over 30 acres, rehabilitation of slum dwellers over 10 acres, and private residential apartments for sale in the open market and various other amenities in the remaining land. In October 2023, the state government decided to provide ownership flats under the sale component to 3,800 employees belonging to class 2 and 3 categories who had been living in the colony for two generations.

Despite these developments, nothing changed on ground, residents of the colony told HT. “We have been fighting for our own home with the government since 1999, but no IAS officer is willing to clear our file,” said Rajesh Jadhav from the Government Quarters Residents’ Association (GQRA), one of the four residents’ groups that are part of the vote boycott campaign. The other groups are the Fourth Grade Resident Employees’ Association, the Proposed Government Quarters Residents Co-op Housing Society, and Narishakti.

Jadhav said though the government employees living in the colony were willing to pay ₹1,000 core for permanent houses and were demanding eight acres of land at a reasonable cost from the government for the same, the government was not willing to give them the land. He said six chief ministers had assured colony residents of addressing their demands, but to no avail.

“Till today, 12 local MLAs have participated in various agitations and raised our concerns in the legislative assembly, but nothing has moved. We therefore decided not to vote in the election,” he said.

Over 150 residents attended Sunday’s meeting in the colony to firm up their plans of vote boycott. In a statement issued the same day, they criticised the government, saying it was willing to give away free homes for rehabilitation, but were not ready to give homes to colony residents despite their willingness to pay.

“We are third generation residents in the colony, and most of us are on the verge of retirement. We are willing to vote, but lack of action on part of the government is forcing us to boycott voting,” said Jadhav.