Mhada board wants housing quota for defence personnel

Board members of the Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (Mhada) are now demanding a special quota for defence personnel in the allotment of low-cost houses being offered by the housing body annually.

Board members of the Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (Mhada) are now demanding a special quota for defence personnel in the allotment of low-cost houses being offered by the housing body annually.

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In the last two years, members have already made demands for a special quota for minorities and Other Backward Sections (OBCs), which is still awaiting the state government’s sanction.

Raising the demand, Virendra Upadhyaya, senior member of the board, outlined the need of this quota. “Since they serve the country and cannot afford flats from private builders, they deserve special concession,” Upadhyaya said.

There is already a 2% reservation quota for injured defence personnel or families of deceased soldiers as well as a 5% quota for retired defence personnel.

Mhada has already reserved 49% of its flats for various categories like scheduled tribes, scheduled classes, freedom fighters, central, state government as well as Mhada employees.

However, the NCP has dissented saying that the minority quota should be given
preference.

“Defence personnel get government accommodation during their service period and we have already reserved houses for them after their retirement,” said Mubarak Khan, Mhada board member and chief of NCP’s minority wing (Mumbai). He quoted the Sachar Committee report, which showed up the precarious condition of minorities.

However, the state has emphatically ruled out the creation of any new quota.

“We may think of adjusting the serving personnel in the present quota of retired personnel as we are not in the position to create any new ones,” Sachin Ahir, state minister for housing, said.