Double whammy Developers stop paying rent as work stalled; over 20,000 hit

More than 20,000 residents of Malad – Kandivali residing in the periphery of Central Ordinance Depot of the defence land are running out of patience as the state and central governments, on one hand have issued GR restricting development of their buildings after they entered in the agreement with developers and even vacated their flats, on other hand many of the developers have stopped paying rents to these residents as their projects are stalled for past three years.

The irony of the situation, explains Rashid Siddiqui is that their apartments are either demolished or are not habitable even if they wanted to go back to their homes. Rashid admits that his building is indeed dilapidated and is not fit for occupying again. "My developer has expressed inability to pay the rent anymore. Where do we go now," said Siddiqui, who has ten-member family. Rashid owned two flats in Raksha Co-Operative Housing Society in Kandivali.

In 2010, state issued guidelines for development of these buildings. But in 2011 defence ministry stopped development around 500 metres of the defence land, which comprises areas from Malad to Kandivali upto Thakur Complex. Development of at least 650 odd buildings was stalled and at least 70 buildings which have already entered with an agreement with the developers and had been vacated were are left in lurch.

The rent in the area for 1BHK is at least Rs 20,000 – 22,000, given the scarcity of rent-able units.

Now residents have pinned their hopes on the assurance by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, which came after local MLAs from Kandivali East Atul Bhatkhalkar and Yogesh Sagar from Kandivali West raised the issue in the winter session of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, on Thursday.