Desperate Patra Chawl flat buyers to stage dharna for OCs

The issue concerns the terms on which the Maharashtra Housing Development Authority handed over redevelopment rights of the Goregaon chawl to Guru Ashish Constructions Ltd (GACPL) in 2008

Mumbai Residents of three flat buyers’ associations from Goregaon’s controversial Patra Chawl have written to the MHADA CEO, expressing their intent to stage a peaceful protest on September 14 to highlight their plight. Copies of this letter were sent to the chief minister, the deputy chief minister and the Kherwadi police station on September 5. Copies of this letter are with HT.

On the basis of that agreement with MHADA, GACPL sold part of the development rights of the plot to various builders (HT Photo)

Signed by representatives of the buyers’ associations of three residential complexes at Patra Chawl –Ekta Tripolis, Kalpataru Radiance and Sangam Lifespaces – the letter states that the groups, together, represent 1,700 flat buyers. Although the buildings are ready for possession, the occupation certificates (OCs) have been held back due to the dispute around the plot.

“It has been 8 years. We have been waiting for possession of our homes… Our dreams have been shattered,” says the letter issued jointly by the three flat buyers’ groups. Through it, the buyers’ associations have notified the authorities about the ‘dharna’ they plan to hold at noon, on September 14. Representatives of the groups told HT the protest is slated to be held outside the MHADA building at Kalanagar in Bandra East.

The issue concerns the terms on which MHADA handed over redevelopment rights of the chawl to Guru Ashish Constructions Ltd (GACPL) in 2008. On the basis of that agreement with MHADA, GACPL sold part of the development rights of the plot to various builders, including Ekta, Kalpataru and Sangam. GACPL was subsequently declared insolvent and as it then effectively reneged on its end of the deal – i.e., to rehouse the original tenants of this land in return for the development rights of the plot – MHADA called into question all the other deals GACPL had struck on the basis of its original commitment to MHADA..

Dharmesh Padmanabhan, who holds a senior leadership position with an MNC and has booked a flat in Ekta Tripolis, told HT, “Some 8,500 taxpayers are waiting to move into these 1,700 flats. And we have collectively shelled out about ₹500 cr towards GST and ₹200 cr towards stamp duty’. Padmanabhan believes the amounts paid to authorities should afford flat buyers some protection. “We are expecting over 250 people to attend the protest. We hope Devendra Fadnavis will come and meet us at the dharna and that he will urge MHADA to issue our OC post haste so we can move in by Dussehra,” he added.

Kherwadi Police Station accepted the letter and simultaneously issued a notice to remind the groups that section 149 of the CrPC will apply. The section provides that police officers may act to prevent cognizable offenses at unlawful gatherings.

The flat buyers’ representatives said the home buyers now have their hopes pegged on MHADA, Eknath Shinde and Fadnavis to come to their rescue.