Plots granted, but where are schools, playgrounds: Mhada

The Maharashtra state police co-operative housing federation has been in possession of an eight-acre plot in Mulund (east) since June 30, 1992. However, not a single house has come up on it as the plot falls in the coastal regulatory zone. It’s a similar case with Gaikwad Nagar (Malavani, Malad) where an unspecified piece of land was given for police housing on March 4, 1998. Eight buildings have been constructed here, but a deal has not gone ahead, thanks to a stay given by the authority vice-president.

Records in the Mhada’s Mumbai Board reveal that 107 such plots are lying idle, without any development. According to a list available with DNA, only a handful of organisations have completed the construction and are fully utilising the plots. In two other cases — a 10,000 sq metre plot allotted to Tajcrack housing society way back on August 21, 1996, and a 10,000 sq metre plot given to the Nargis Dutt Memorial charitable trust for a hospital in Oshiwara in October 20, 2000 — not a single brick has been laid.

While the distribution in Tajcrack society has been cancelled, the Dutt trust has been asking for a Re1 lease to be granted. The authority has not taken a decision.

Another plot measuring 3,552.10 sq metre has been allotted to the Nationalist Congress Party leader and minister for rural development Jayant Patil’s Kasegaon Education Society in Malavani (Malad). Though the plot has not been handed over yet, no details are available about its status. BJP’s Mumbai chief Raj Purohit’s Seva Nyas has been allotted a 1,000 sq metre plot for school and a 2,520 sq metre plot for a playground on March 20, 2002. But nothing has happened there too.

The number of plots where possession has been given, but there is no record of construction work being either completed or commenced are a whopping 60 out of 107. Taking note of this, the Mhada’s proposal also says that hereafter while giving huge plots for social service activities such as small scale industries or women self-help groups, a qualitative check of the organisations should be made.