Security personnel rent them out illegally and extract money from the occupants
Mumbai : Private security personnel in charge of government houses of Project Affected Persons (PAPs), rent them out illegally and extract money from the occupants, BMC corporators have claimed.
Rais Sheikh, Congress corporator told the standing committee, that “more than 300 houses were found to be occupied illegally by people other than the PAPs, for whom these houses are actually built.” He also alleged that Eagle security contractors, in charge of providing security to these houses, rent them out directly to a third party, who is not the beneficiary of the scheme, without the civic body having any information of the deal.
PAPs are people who have been displaced from an area due to an on-going government project, in the area. It is the government’s duty to provide them with alternate housing facilities. Sheikh “Sometimes the PAPs themselves rent out the houses to someone else, which is technically not allowed. Sometimes they are not allotted to PAPs and then security personnel take advantage of the situation.”
Trushna Vishwasrao, Leader of the House in BMC said, “Many times there have been instances of window panes and doors of these houses being stolen. There was a case last year where an entire lift was stolen.
Such things cannot happen unless the security personnel themselves are involved. “
Moreover, corporators also expressed concern over the fitness of security personnel provided by the private agencies. Vishwasrao said, “Agencies hire 65 or 70 year olds as security men, who are not capable of doing their duty well.”
Even though Eagle Security Contractors’ had their contract renewed, Yashodhar Phanse, standing committee chairman said the civic body will look into lapses of security occurring at the sites, and ensure that the houses are occupied by the beneficiaries themselves.