Will resolve space crunch at disputes tribunal: MHADA

With a 144 square feet room and three staff members, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) tribunal room, which hears 25-30 cases of dispute between flat owners and tenants on a daily basis, is finding it difficult to conduct hearings as it faces a space crunch with 200-300 visitors each day.

Along with space crunch, the competent authority has a shortage of staff with a single security official and a stenographer. A proposal for hiring additional staff has been scrapped. The authority has allegedly scrapped proposals to re-accomodate the entire staff to a bigger space which is sufficient to conduct hearings. The tribunal belongs to the Konkan division of Mhada. A senior official told the Free Press Journal that the authority is reluctant to provide the tribunal with any other facilities.

“The hearings are conducted from Monday to Wednesday. For each case, at least five members, including both parties and their advocates, are present. More than 250 people are queued at the corridor which also has departments. This creates more congestion within the corridor. The authority should at least provide assistant staffers.” The disputes are resolved within six months. Cases wherein tenants refuse to vacate flats even after agreement date has expired are heard by the authority. A MHADA flat owner said, “It is difficult to stand in these long queues.”

The Konkan division includes areas like Thane, Mumbra, Mira Road, Kalyan and New Panvel. On a yearly basis, more than 300 cases are heard. A senior official pointed out that the authority is unwilling to provide facilities to the tribunal since it belongs to the Konkan division.