Ex-CS seeks more time to submit report, residents upset

The Goregoan Patra Chawl tenants are upset over the delay in submitting a report by former Chief Secretary Johnny Joseph on their stuck redevelopment project. The retired officer was supposed to submit the report on September 30. However, he has asked for two more months' extension, informed the residents.

Makrand Parab, an aggrieved Patra Chawl resident, said, "We had given one last ultimatum of 45 days to MHADA to take over the project or residents will take over the land possession. The warning deadline is ending on October 18, if the authority fails to decide on its own, we plan to do what we have said."

Another resident, Pramod Rajput, questioned how long more are we supposed to wait? "This project has been delayed by more than a decade now. The builder has stopped paying us rents. With no income in lockdown, we have broken down. Besides, our redevelopment project was a tri-party agreement with MHADA and the developer. If the developer has failed to undertake this project why is MHADA not acting?"

The state govt in March 2018 had appointed a onemember committee under the chairmanship of former chief secretary Johnny Jospeh. The committee was appointed to carry out a detailed investigation in the Patra Chawl Redevelopment. The redevelopment was being carried out by Guruashish Construction, part of HDIL group at Siddharth Nagar Cooperative Housing Society, a MHADA layout.

The Patra Chawl redevelopment process was initiated in 2007 and since then around 672 residents have been waiting for their homes. The redevelopment work stopped in 2015 and residents have not been paid any rent for the past five years.