A senior MLC says that the moment a building is declared dangerous, everyone should follow the rules and vacate such buildings, be it an MLA or a tenant.
Only 53 MLAs have vacated their rooms allotted to them in the Manora Hostel located at Nariman Point. Almost 180-190 legislators are yet to vacate their homes. The government has decided to carry out the redevelopment of the hostels after a portion in one of the buildings had collapsed. However, some of the legislators haven't yet vacated the hostel. A senior MLC says that the moment a building is declared dangerous, everyone should follow the rules and vacate such buildings, be it an MLA or a tenant.
On Tuesday, when this reporter visited the hostel, the security guards confirmed that there were some people who were still residing in the hostel. A number of cars were parked inside the building and many people were there within the building premises.
Jayant Patil, an MLC in the Maharashtra legislature said, "We are lawmakers and when the law states that the building is dilapidated and has to be vacated, it should be followed. But there are few MLAs who come from rural areas and do not have any other place in Mumbai to reside might not have vacated it. Till now there is no alternative for most of the MLAs, near the present hostel."
A senior official from PWD department, under whom the MLA hostels come, said, "Only 53 legislators have vacated till now, many of them are yet to let go possession of the flats."
Ramesh Prabhu, Chairman of Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association says that MLAs should set an example by immediately vacating the flats in the dilapidated MLA hostels. "MLAs have resources, yet they aren't vacating the flats allotted to them. Imagine the plight of a tenant who doesn't have many resources. But whatever said and done, one should immediately vacate the building that is once declared dilapidated," he said.
An architect who deals in redevelopment of old dilapidated buildings says, "Look at the recent examples, last year's Hussain building collapse in Bhendi Bazaar which cost many lives. There had been many such cases in past where the buildings were issued eviction notices but tenants continued to stay because they fear that the redevelopment would take a lot of time and they would stay in transit camps all their life.
Once redeveloped, MLAs and MLCs will get to stay in posh 1,000 square feet flats in the redeveloped hostel buildings by 2021. After seeing the sorry state of the dilapidated Manora MLA hostel at Nariman Point, the state government asked NBCC India Ltd to construct two towers of 50 and 32 floors on the site. The towers will be constructed above a five-storey podium and will be connected by a bridge. The towers will have all modern amenities and canteen facility.
BETTER FUTURE
Once redeveloped, MLAs and MLCs will get to stay in posh 1,000 square feet flats in the redeveloped hostel buildings by 2021. The towers will have all modern amenities and canteen facility
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