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Slumdog kids don’t turn up to claim their flats
When lakhs are eager to own the low-cost homes, parents of Slumdog Millionaire artists Azharuddin Ismail and Rubina Ali are too busy to claim the housed allotted to them, reports Naresh Kamath.
When lakhs are eager to own the low-cost homes, parents of Slumdog Millionaire artists Azharuddin Ismail and Rubina Ali are too busy to claim the housed allotted to them.
They did not turn up at the Maharashtra Housing & Area Development Authority ) headquarters on Monday evening to claim possession of their Malvani flats.
This is despite the Mumbai Congress bearing cost of the flats – Rs 4 lakh each – and paying the monthly maintenance and other taxes, till both actors turn 18.
Chairman of MHADA’s Mumbai board Amarjeet Singh Manhas said: “I waited for them with cheques issued by the Congress but they failed to turn up.”
He said the reason given was they were attending some religious functions.
The actors, their parents and lawyer first came to the MHADA office on Monday morning and showed interest in acquiring the flats.
Last month, the BMC demolished houses of both the child artists in the Bandra slums.
The Mumbai Congress raises funds by collecting Re 1 per year from 28 lakh members. Office bearers and elected representatives pay various amounts starting from Rs 100.
When asked why MHADA is allotting flats when even the Jai Ho Trust has offered to buy houses for the kids, Manhas said:
“Since they brought laurels to the country, many people want to felicitate them and we cannot stop them. We are just fulfilling our promise.”
