Mumbai: In the backdrop of lingering demand to redevelop the Maharashtra Housing And Development Authority (MHADA) societies in Abhyudaya Nagar, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will address the anxious residents today (Tuesday) regarding the future course of action. Although the projects languishing for years have finally received the green signal, Fadnavis will now clear the air whether the cooperative housing societies should opt for self-redevelopment or the government would be at the helm of affairs.
Top BJP leaders will be accompanying the deputy CM. However, Shiv Sena (UBT) has termed the move as an election gimmick. The discussion will be held at Shaheed Bhagatsingh Maidan and footfalls in thousands are expected. To avoid crowding, passes have also been distributed to the residents who want to attend the meeting.
Buildings were built by MHADA six decades ago
Sprawling over 33 acres, several three and four-storey buildings were built by MHADA around six decades ago for industrial employees on a tenancy basis. Some homes were handed to government employees. After 1985, the government transferred ownership to the tenants. The residents then formed a cooperative society and picked Rustomjee Developers by popular vote in 2015 for redevelopment. They agreed on a certain amount to be paid towards a corpus for maintenance of the societies once the project gets completed.
Sena (UBT) leaders slammed the BJP, asserting that the meeting is a political stunt to get votes in the upcoming elections. Just like the Dharavi project has been given to Adani group, Fadnavis and other BJP leaders want to hand over the Abhyudaya Nagar redevelopment project to their favourites, they alleged.
F-South ward ex-corporator Datta Pongade said that the deputy CM is only fooling the Abhyudaya Nagar residents by saying arrears have been scrapped under the amnesty scheme. However, there is no document or government resolution to support the statement, he underlined. Sena (UBT) MLA Ajay Chaudhari was instrumental in pushing the redevelopment proposal ahead. “Over the last two years, the BJP is purposely organising events in those areas which is the Sena (UBT) vote bank. However, it is not easy to divert the voters by such programmes,” said Pongade. Nothing is clear how the redevelopment project, which has been stalled for many years, will be undertaken. The BJP just wants to snatch credits of all the works that are not even executed by it, he added.
