Ever since the slum rehabilitation authority was set up in 1995, numerous complaints have been filed about the alleged builder-bureaucrat nexus in lucrative slum schemes.
But, with little or no documentary evidence, the nexus never went beyond speculation.
Till now. In the first instance of its kind, the state government has found prima facie reason to probe two high ranking officers, suburban collector Vishwas Patil (IAS) and Dr Hikmat Udaan, deputy collector (he has since resigned) for allegedly conniving with a slum developer and amassing property worth around Rs 8 crore at Juhu. Patil is alleged to have gotten involved when he was additional collector. An inquiry has been ordered under additional commissioner Shubrao Patil (Konkan Division).
The properties in question involve the two officers’ wives, Chandrasena and Maya, co-partners in Juhu Beach Corporation, a private developer whose redevelopment scheme of Ekta Rahiwashi Sangh at Juhu, received approval from Patil and Udaan The firm originally had only four partners.
Vishwas Patil told DNA that he had purchased the flats by paying Rs 80 lakh taken in loan. “There is no irregularity in the scheme as we have followed rules. Also, I was in Raigad at that time. The allegations are made against me by a disgruntled colleague. The case had even gone to the HC where we had presented our side,’’ Patil said. Udaan was unavailable for comment.
Sources say the government stumbled on this alleged nexus when it received inconclusive replies from the SRA authorities despite repeated questions on the Ekta Rahiwasi Sangh scheme raised by legislators in 2008 and 2009.
The said SRA scheme was on Surveys number 561 and 161 in Juhu and submitted by a developer called Juhu Beach Corporation. The developer was a partnership firm registered on April 21, 2003, with four initial partners; Surendra Laxman Raval, Sanjay Surendra Raval, Chetan Sundaji Bhanushali and Shivkumar Bhanupratap Singh.
After Udaan and Patil certified Annexure II, the list of eligible slum dwellers, the slum scheme was approved and the letter of intent was issued on June 21, 2004. Sometime in January, 2005, three new partners joined the developer. They were Maya Udaan (wife of Hikmat Udaan) and Chandrasena Patil (wife of Vishwas Patil) along with one Shiv Kumar Singh on behalf of Shipra Associates, whose identity is still unknown.
Nevertheless, after the slum scheme was completed, 10 flats in the sale component of the building were then divided among the partners and the partnership dissolved in 2007. Maya received two flats of 144.36 sq metres each with a terrace of 74.86 sq m and four parking spaces. Chandrasena received two flats of 104 sq m and 154.68 sq m plus a terrace of 86 sq m and four parking spaces. According to realty experts, the market value of the flats was around Rs 4 cr each.
“Is this a one-off or does it point to a pattern? We have received many complaints in the past but have failed to unearth any nexus so far,’’ a senior government official said.
According to housing experts, the inquiry confirms the existence of a nexus between builders and bureaucrats in SRA schemes. “Considering the nexus and given the paperwork involved, it is impossible for poor slum dwellers to unearth it all even by using RTI,’’ a housing expert said.
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