Mumbai: After a fierce debate over a vote in the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) to allot a subsidised community flat to the son of a former assistant commissioner of police, the trust said that the allotment has been kept in abeyance.
The BPP, one of the biggest land owners in the city, with over 5000 charity flats in colonies called baugs across the city, was accused of favouritism by voting to allot a flat in Godrej Baug, Nepean Sea Road, to the family of the former policeman though they did not fulfill certain criteria for community housing. The flats in the BPP colonies are alloted to Parsis with income below a certain threshold.
The colonies, many of which were built by Parsi philanthropic families like the Tatas, Godrej, and Wadias, were handed over to the BPP for allotment to families and individuals who do not own homes in the city. There is a long waiting line for the homes. In a community with one of the lowest birth rates in the country, priority is often given to young couples who want to start a family.
In the Godrej Baug case, said Viraf Mehta, chairman of the BPP, the son of the former policeman is planning to get married. The voting process ended in a draw, with three trustees out of the six present at the meeting voting in favour of the allotment, while the other three dissented. One trustee in the seven-member body was not present at the meeting. The chairman then exercised his casting vote in favour of the allotment.
Mehta said that he still stood by his decision to vote in favour of the allotment. "We do want to help the young couple, but you want to take the board along with you. The whole debate has achieved nothing," said Mehta who added that the allotment has been kept in abeyance.
"I am in touch with the family in question and they are quite distressed to be caught in the community crossfire. The trust will not be meeting for the next two weeks because some members are travelling. We have issued a public notice asking for objections and feedback from the community. We will reconsider the matter as new information has come in. We will review the decision. This has happened in the past," Mehta added.
The BPP has not issued any statement in writing. Adil Malia, one of the three trustees who dissented, commented about the development, saying that 'The righteous voice of the people has to prevail. People have to stand up and raise their voice against all wrong.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
