Distressed Patra Chawl tenants to go on indefinite hunger strike

They are dissatisfied with ex-CS Johny Joseph's report and MHADA's failure to take any appropriate action

Goregaon Patra Chawl tenants who have been waiting for new homes since over a decade, have decided to intensify their resentment against the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) and EX Chief Secretary Johnny Joseph’s project report submitted recently. They have called for indefinite chain hunger strike beginning from February 16, on the project site area only, infor med Makrand Parab, a part of the Patra Chawl Action Committee.

He explained that Johnny Joseph's report tells how financially viable this redevelopment project would be for MHADA.

The report advises MHADA should undertake the incomplete redevelopment project and give Rs 15,000 per family as rent till the project work is completed. Moreover, by using the current Floor Space Index (FSI) of 4 the project work should be executed. "Interestingly with these recommendations, MHADA will make a profit of at least Rs 1,000 crore but, unfortunately no suggestions have been made for the families who have been living without homes for the past so many years. No mention has been made about the Rs 25 crore corpus fund to be given to tenants of Patra Chawl as per the previous agreement. Nothing has been mentioned about the five year pending rents from the builder. Moreover, our project planning was made as per 2.5 FSI and

MHADA now can carry out the remaining work at an FSI of 4. Therefore, tenants should be given the benefit of the new FSI too. We reject this report as no suggestions have been made for the benefit of the original tenants. MHADA has also deceived us tenants, though we regularly wrote letters, held meetings with officials about our demands," Parab stated.

The Tenants Action Committee argued that in the report Rs 15,000 per family rent to be paid during the pending construction work was suggested, while the previous developer used to pay Rs 40,000 rent five years ago. Therefore the rent payment should be made on par. In fact, in Goregaon no where one can get, one bed room kitchen (BHK) flat on rent at Rs 15,000, he asserted.