Ex-Addl Collector bags flat in SRA project

One of the apartments of a slum rehabilitation project in Mahim was sold to former Additional Collector (City) Radhakrishna Ghame’s wife two years before the project even got approval from the Slum Rehabilitation Authority.

The slum rehabilitation project of 29 slum-dwellers at Mahim’s Dwarkamai Cooperative Housing Society got approval in 2009. However, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the developer Uday Desai and Ghame in 2007.

Ghame, who has currently been transferred to Osmanabad, was the Additional Collector of Mumbai city under which the rehab project was sanctioned. Ghame, however, rubbished the claims saying the MoU was signed with the developer. According to the property registration document, a 793 square feet apartment was purchased by Bharati Ghame for Rs 39,01,560. Ghame said, “The MoU was signed with the developer in 2007 and we have legally acquired the flat.”

Desai’s Mighty Developers was roped in for redeveloping a 576 square metre plot which housed 15 original huts at Taikalwadi located at Mahim. However, a recent Right to Information query revealed that more than 10 fake beneficiaries were created. After the project was completed in 2014, the flats were allotted to these fake beneficiaries on fake light bills and bank pass books. In the RTI reply, the authorities have stated that such documents are invalid.

RTI queries filed by Santosh Pandey also revealed that two flats were allotted on electricity bill and residence proof of a single shop owner.

Pandey alleged that the developer has included fake beneficiaries to gain more Floor Space Index. With an increased FSI, the developer can build more saleable flats in the same structure or in any other structure.

Speaking to Free Press Journal, Desai said that Pandey is an extortionist and is making false allegation after he was denied a certain amount. “He has harassed several developers to get monetary benefits. An inquiry carried out by the authority on Pandey’s demand resulted in nothing.”

Commenting on the fake beneficiaries included in the project, Desai said the beneficiary list is prepared by the rehabilitation authority. “The authority provides us with the list of eligible beneficiaries according to which we allot apartments. The survey of eligibility is carried out by the authority.”

Pande has filed a complaint against the fake beneficiaries and said that soon will register a complaint against them. He added, “The unauthorised occupants have submitted several fake documents like light bills, establishment licences and bank pass book. How can the authority determine the eligibility of a tenement according to the bank pass book?”

Slum rehabilitation project at Mahim’s Dwarkamai Co-operative Housing Society got approval in 2009