MMRDA, NGOs to conduct survey of Powai land

The National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM) led by Medha Patkar and officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will undertake a joint survey of the Powai land given to Hiranandani builders.

The National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM) led by Medha Patkar and officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will undertake a joint survey of the Powai land given to Hiranandani builders.

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As per the directions of the Bombay high court, the team will file a status report on all the buildings and structures on the 230-acre land and will also check the remaining vacant area.

The state government and the MMRDA had acquired 230 acres of land to build affordable housing under the Powai Area Development Scheme in 1970.

An agreement was signed with Niranjan Hiranandani in 1986. However, several PILs were filed alleging that the developer violated the affordable housing clause and had amalgamated houses and sold them off as luxury houses.

The high court recently restrained the developer from carrying out any further construction. The MMRDA chief was asked to prepare, within four weeks, a detailed statement of total construction, balance of open land, number and area of tenements constructed, and a list of their purchasers.

Members of NAPM, including Patkar, met metropolitan commissioner Rahul Asthana to push for the report to be filed before the end of the March 22 deadline.

“We will sit with the MMRDA officials on Thursday to formulate the report,” Patkar said.