Complaint against ‘journalist’ with Mhada flat in Dahisar

A complaint has been lodged against a woman who allegedly won a flat claiming to be a journalist in the lottery held by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) last year.

Mumbai-based journalist Nilesh Rupapara had also applied for the housing lottery held by the Mumbai board last year. After the results - in which he was on the waiting list for a flat in Ashokvan, Dahisar (East) under code number 222 - he realised that in the same category, one Chhaya Bhadreshwara had won a flat.

A few months later, Rupapara started finding out details of all those who had won the lottery in Dahisar under the journalist quota. When he enquired about Chhaya, he found that she had claimed to be working for the Nagpur edition of a Hindi daily.

Through the Right to Information Act, Rupapara found that Chhaya had given documents including her identity card and salary certificate of the newspaper.

“But when I enquired with the Mumbai office of the said newspaper, I was told no such woman worked for their Nagpur edition. I complained to the marketing department of the board as well as the chief vigilance officer of the authority,” said Rupapara.

“The marketing department has the responsibility of physically verifying all the documents of the winners. However, many documents are not verified as the department claims it does not have enough staff,” said a source. “What must be happening in the general public category where millions are optimistic of getting a house,” said Rupapara.