Former SRA chief in Mumbai cleared 12 projects in last three months of his service

Mumbai city news: After allegations cropped up that Patil had cleared a record number of proposals in the last month of his tenure favouring builders, state housing minister Prakash Mehta sought a report from the housing department over clearances given by him before he retired on June 30.

The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) chief executive officer (CEO) Vishwas Patil, who is under the scanner for allegedly favouring some developers, had cleared 12 projects in the last three months of his service.

The status report said that Patil gave final approvals (letter of intent) to 12 SRA projects between April 1 and June 30. (HT)

The officer had also granted conditional approval to another 24 projects, final orders for which are pending.

After allegations cropped up that Patil had cleared a record number of proposals in the last month of his tenure favouring builders, state housing minister Prakash Mehta sought a report from the housing department over clearances given by him before he retired on June 30. Mehta wrote a letter on July 4 asking Sanjay Kumar, who is the additional chief secretary of the housing department, to submit a status report.

The status report said that Patil gave final approvals (letter of intent) to 12 SRA projects between April 1 and June 30. Most of them were proposed in the suburbs including Sion, Ghatkopar, Andheri, Bandra, Kurla, Vikhroli, Malad and Santacruz. Of them, three were cleared in April, four in May and five in June .

State housing minister Prakash Mehta has sought details on if a proper procedure was followed while issuing approvals to the projects. Ironically, the minister is also facing allegations of irregularity and mismanagement in dealing with slum rehabilitation projects. The minister came under flak for an irregularity in trying to clear a project in Tardeo and was later accused by a social activist of shielding a slum revamp scam in Vikhroli.

Following allegations against the former SRA chief, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had stayed all the orders passed by Patil in the last week of his retirement.

In all, the former SRA chief had reviewed 149 SRA projects, of which final approval was granted to only 12. Among others, amended letters of intent were issued to 65 projects, six were given acceptance letters while 42 projects were related to issuance of occupancy certificate, approving revised map, permitting to continue construction work of the ongoing projects etc. .

The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) schemes, considered as money spinners, have once again come under cloud as a social activist blew a lid over Rs11 crore offered to him to prevent him from uncovering a slum revamp scam in Vikhroli.