The ruling party MLA and MP have lambasted the authority’s haphazard way of rehabilitation.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) always pats its back for the “successful” rehabilitation of thousands of Project Affected People (PAPs). However, two infrastructure projects of the authority, the Sahar Elevated Road and the Milan Subway Rail Over Bridge (RoB) are in trouble due to several issues related to the PAPs. The ruling party MLA and MP have lambasted the authority’s haphazard way of rehabilitation.
Senior citizen Chandrakant Thakur is one of the 55 families from Milan Subway area shifted to the Oshiwara PAP colony. “We were shifted here in February after MLA Krishna Hegde and MP Priya Dutt convinced us that the MMRDA colony in Oshiwara had all the facilities. But the civic authority is not paying any attention towards maintenance of sewage, cleaning the roads and even garbage collection. When we complain to the ward office, they simply point fingers at the MMRDA and add that it is their job. There are no street lights, no vigilance by the police, which often results in burglaries,” said Thakur.
While Oshiwara is one issue, there is a crisis on the eligibility criteria for the people affected by Sahar Elevated Road project.
“Out of 750 families in Sahar, only 325 are eligible for rehabilitation under the existing policy of the state. While eligible are to be shifted to HDIL’s complex in Kurla, the non-eligible will be shifted to Nahur on a temporary basis. However, there is still no clarity over the issue,” complained Prem Singh, A PAP.
Hegde admitted that the authority officials seem to have goofed up the entire process. “In case of Sahar road PAPs, I was initially told that there are 350 of them. However, after receiving a number of complaints, when I inquired with additional metropolitan commissioner Ashwini Bhide, she said that there were over 750 families, which were to be shifted. The non-eligible people will stay in Nahur till the policy is finalised by the state. I strongly feel that the shifting of the non-eligible should happen only after a policy for the airport is formed,” said Hegde.
Hegde and Dutt have written to the chief minister Prithviraj Chavan about the poor condition of rehabilitation colonies. “In spite of being an elected representatives, we have been constantly misled by the MMRDA regarding demolition and shifting. We convinced people to shift to Oshiwara as the project was a necessity. But the people were moved out of their houses four months ago, then why is it the project still not complete. These people have to be resettled in Vile Parle itself. What is the point in shifting them in haste?” questions the letter.
MMRDA spokesperson Dilip Kawathkar claimed that the problems in Oshiwara colonies were recently resolved. “As far as the eligibility crisis is concerned, the competent authority is the deputy collector (encroachments). The rehabilitation is done as per that authority’s recommendation,” said Kawathkar.
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