A section of residents of Ambedkar Nagar slum in Cuffe Parade have demanded a stay on a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project alleging impropriety in the awarding of the contract.
In a letter to the high-power committee of SRA, the residents alleged that Precaution Properties had received the Letter of Intent (LoI) without following due procedure and demanded a stay on the LoI. They also sought a fresh approval process.
The slum dwellers have formed a new entity, Shree Ganesh Murthi Nagar and Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagar Ekta Sahakari Grih Nirman Society, to highlight their grievances.
It is alleged that the developer received the consent of only 2,300 of the 6,997 residents, who settled in the area before 2000. According to SRA rules, 70% of residents give consent to a project. The residents alleged that the LoI had been issued for the entire plot measuring 1,13,321 square metres despite 2,600 tenements being labelled as ‘locked’, ‘person not available’.
However, Rajendra Raja Bali Singh, director, Precaution Properties, refuted the allegations. He said his company had the legal mandate to develop the area after the High Court and Supreme Court gave their approval.
The letter by the residents said, “In the LoI, only 2,760 eligible tenants have been shown as staying in the area. Prior to 2000, about 6,997 slum dwellers have been staying here and approximately over 3,000 more might have come after 2000.
“This LoI, which talks about 2,760 slum dwellers, is infructuous. Our purpose is to protect the interests of slum dwellers for the smooth development of the slum area without anyone getting cheated.”
Perumal Nadar, a resident and member of the society, said, “The authorities did not even bother to revisit the houses and execute a proper process for the remaining tenements.
The LoI was granted by the then CEO of SRA, Vishwas Patil, just before his retirement on July 7, 2017, but it was issued only on November 27, 2017.”
Mr. Nadar said Mr. Patil had been accused of corruption in the Tulsiwadi SRA and an enquiry is pending against him. He said, “The Cuffe Parade project is also part of the corrupt dealings. The LoI is based on wrong documents, there are a lot of irregularities and corruption in it. We want the process to start afresh and the developer to seek fresh consent.”
Housing Minister Ravindra Waikar informed the Assembly during the budget session that Mr. Patil would be facing a CID inquiry. Speaking in the Council on Thursday, Mr. Waikar said a government probe by a four-member panel had found irregularities in 33 files cleared by Mr. Patil.
He said, “A report will be tabled before the House on the 137 proposals cleared by him, of which 33 have raised doubts.” Mr. Patil was unavailable for comments.
Dr. Anil Shah, who runs a clinic in the slum, said, “Precaution Properties with the help of its staff is putting pressure on the local police to carry out a survey. They are also threatening people in the locality. We have complained to the authorities that slum dwellers are being denied an opportunity to submit documents to prove their eligibility.”
Mr. Singh, on the other hand, said, “We have received the consent of 93% residents who lived there before 2000. Their consent has been registered with revenue authorities and videographed. Some disgruntled people are spreading misinformation for personal gain and to derail the project.”
Deepak Kapoor, CEO, SRA, did not respond to an email which raised questions on the project. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) Manoj Kumar Sharma also could not be reached for comment.
