MUMBAI: A lone post office has stalled a Rs 300-crore redevelopment
project in Borivli (East). The postal department has refused to shift
out of two tenements it occupies in Rajendra Nagar, a low-income housing
colony built by Mhada five decades ago.
But a humanitarian crisis is looming. Around 110 families are in panic as their buildings were demolished two years ago and they have been living on rent paid by the builder. Since the project has not yet started, they fear an indefinite wait for new homes.
The residents had signed a redevelopment agreement with Keystone Realtors. Seven buildings built in 1962 were to give way to two new towers. "Six of the buildings were demolished after the developers procured documents like commencement certificate from the BMC," a resident said. "The postal authority is not only hampering the redevelopment work, but also causing us mental agony. We do not know when the redevelopment work will start and when we will get new premises."
Each family had a 300-sq ft flat and was to receive a much larger one after redevelopment for free from the builder, who could sell the remaining flats at market rates.
The post office is in the only building standing at the complex. Though the building is dilapidated, the postal department is firm on not moving out till it is assured of ownership rights in the redeveloped property.
"Mhada has yet to decide on our ownership status," said a senior officer at the General Post Office. It's six years, but the postal department is yet to get new premises in a Mhada redevelopment project that started in Saki Naka six years ago, he said. "We do not want a repeat of the situation. The department insists on signing a tripartite agreement with Mhada and the builder. But Mhada seems to be dragging on."
Mhada's resident executive engineer R B Mitkar said the Rajendra Nagar issue was sorted out last week and the post office had agreed to shift. Last year, the BMC issued a notice to the post office to vacate the building within seven days because of its "dilapidated and dangerous'' condition. The postal department official put the onus on Mhada, saying the housing authority would be responsible if the building collapsed.
A resident, Virendra Joshi,s ssaid, "There is no coordination between Mhada and the postal department."
But a humanitarian crisis is looming. Around 110 families are in panic as their buildings were demolished two years ago and they have been living on rent paid by the builder. Since the project has not yet started, they fear an indefinite wait for new homes.
The residents had signed a redevelopment agreement with Keystone Realtors. Seven buildings built in 1962 were to give way to two new towers. "Six of the buildings were demolished after the developers procured documents like commencement certificate from the BMC," a resident said. "The postal authority is not only hampering the redevelopment work, but also causing us mental agony. We do not know when the redevelopment work will start and when we will get new premises."
Each family had a 300-sq ft flat and was to receive a much larger one after redevelopment for free from the builder, who could sell the remaining flats at market rates.
The post office is in the only building standing at the complex. Though the building is dilapidated, the postal department is firm on not moving out till it is assured of ownership rights in the redeveloped property.
"Mhada has yet to decide on our ownership status," said a senior officer at the General Post Office. It's six years, but the postal department is yet to get new premises in a Mhada redevelopment project that started in Saki Naka six years ago, he said. "We do not want a repeat of the situation. The department insists on signing a tripartite agreement with Mhada and the builder. But Mhada seems to be dragging on."
Mhada's resident executive engineer R B Mitkar said the Rajendra Nagar issue was sorted out last week and the post office had agreed to shift. Last year, the BMC issued a notice to the post office to vacate the building within seven days because of its "dilapidated and dangerous'' condition. The postal department official put the onus on Mhada, saying the housing authority would be responsible if the building collapsed.
A resident, Virendra Joshi,s ssaid, "There is no coordination between Mhada and the postal department."
Source : http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
No comments:
Post a Comment