Ramesh Shinde, 38, won a Mhada (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority) house at Mankhurd in 2010.

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Since then he has been waiting to take possession of the 1BHK flat.

“I am staying in a rented house even though I own a house. It is Mhada’s fault for which we are suffering. They should pay us rent,” said Shinde, who works in a private firm.Around 3,000 people who were allotted Mhada houses in Mankhurd-Mandale belt are still waiting to shift to their houses. This was the third round of lottery by Mhada.

Among them is a 29-year-old who has postponed his wedding plans, waiting for his dream home. “It is expensive to manage rent and other household expenses. So I have to wait till I get my own house. Mhada should learn a lesson. Unless the houses are completely ready, it should not conduct the lottery and allot houses,” he said, requesting anonymity.

Senior Mhada officials said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has not given occupation certificate (OC) to these houses. “The houses are ready. But it does not have proper access road and other facilities. Most of the proposed access road part is encroached by slumdwellers. Without access road, we cannot allow people to stay in Mhada houses,” they said.The officials said that they are sorting out the issues. “We do not want to put people in trouble after giving them possession,” they said.

The civic officials said the road and water pipe line will run through the defence area. “We are seeking the defence authority’s permission to construct a road and lay drinking water pipes. After it is done, the OC will be given to the Mhada houses,” he said.

The vice-president of Mhada, Satis Gavai, said he had met the officials concerned and the BMC has agreed to give the occupation certification soon. “The BMC has decided to remove the slums which obstruct the access road. The width of the road is 12 metre and it will be widened to 18 metre. And within a month, we will get OC from the civic body,” said Gavai.