High prices and fewer homes for EWS in this year's MHADA lottery defeat the scheme's purpose, meant to provide homes to the economically weak
The aim of the annual MHADA lottery has been to provide common Mumbaikars the opportunity to buy affordable homes in the city. However, this year the lottery, scheduled for November 10, has received a lot of flak owing to the prices of the houses on sale.
The homes in Lower Parel are being sold at Rs 1.95 crore while those in Powai have been priced upwards of Rs 1.30 crore. To top it all, out of the 819 homes on sale this year, only eight homes belong to the lottery's Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category. The High Income Group (HIG) has 338 homes, the Middle Income Group (MIG) 289, and the Lower Income Group (LIG) 192.
DNA spoke to people across the city to find out whether they think the houses listed in the MHADA lottery this year belong to the "affordable" segment anymore, and whether the houses are out of grasp for most average Mumbaikars.
This wrecks the MHADA's root scheme. Common people too aspire to live in prime locations. But now, the common man will refrain from registering. It is like breaking the common man's trust.
—Priyanka Joshi, Badlapur
How can EWS afford these rates? Moreover, only eight homes for the EWS in my opinion is in violation of ULC Act. The government should take proper measures to benefit weaker sections.
—Neeraj Gupta, Andheri
MHADA's rates this year are at par with the rates of private builders who are providing housing with better facilities like parking space. If the common man could afford housing at the market rate then why would they wait an entire year for the MHADA lottery?
—Neha Singh, Parel
Over the past few years, MHADA has been a sheer disappointment for many home buyers due to fewer homes and skyrocketing prices. The common man would think twice before applying for the lottery with such high prices for much smaller homes. The government should rethink the scheme and make it accessible to common people.
—Sanjay Patil, Borivli
A lot of government schemes have turned into scams over the years and the flaws cannot be ignored. The MHADA lottery is meant for the common man but now the HIG will get housing and facilities as they already do, and the LIG and EWS have to deal with whatever is available to them. This trashes the whole point.
—Sayli Raorane, Dombivli
My family members have got good houses from the MHADA lottery in the past. I earn a decent amount annually hence I was considering MHADA as an option but now with the increased rates, I would rather opt for a rental apartment.
—Manas Singh, Andheri
Judicial intervention is needed to make sure that the common man's rights are not cheated. Even if varying real estate prices are taken into consideration, paying such high prices for a MHADA home is a difficult proposition for the common man.
—Shamali Gupta, Chembur
If one considers the rates according to the area where the homes are located and the space being offered, I think it is valid.
—Deepak Agarwal, Goregaon
This defeats the purpose. It is following the same old Indian cycle of making the rich richer while the poor remain as they are.
—Keith Gomes, Kurla
EXPERT SPEAK
When I was the chairman, the prices of the houses were decided after taking into consideration the land cost and construction cost, apart from the profit ratio for HIG and MIG categories. The prices in this year's lottery are too expensive and the government should reconsider them. Even the number of homes for the EWS and LIG categories should be increased.
—Amarjeet Singh Manhas, former Chairman, Mumbai Board, MHADA
This is an issue faced by authorities across expensive metro markets. The disputed properties are located in Mumbai's premium localities hence the prices in the lottery seem inconsistent with the general perception of affordable housing. Overcoming the challenge of affordability in highly contested property markets will be key for the government to achieve its "Housing for All" agenda.
—Shubika Bilkha, Business Head, Real Estate Management Institute (REMI)
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