Mumbai: BJP MLA from Badnapur, Narayan Kuche, has backed out from buying the south Mumbai flat, which he won in the lottery conducted by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). Said to be the most expensive unit ever offered by the housing agency, the house is located in a Tardeo apartment and has a price tag of ₹7.58 crore. According to Kuche’s 2019 affidavit, his assets were valued at ₹3.23 crore while his liabilities stood at ₹18.03 lakh.
According to sources, he gave the opportunity a miss as he was unable to arrange for a home loan. Ironically, MHADA is known for delivering affordable homes for common man. However, the scenario seems to have changed as even these houses have joined the club of elusive dream homes. But Kuche didn't lose it all as he even won a 9th-storey flat in the same building under the Scheduled Caste quota.
The MLA's retreat for the other flat has paved way for Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Karad, whose name was on the waitlist for the same apartment. On August 14, Kuche won the lottery to purchase the 19th-storey flat in the Crescent Tower. On July 20, the Free Press Journal had reported that under the MP/ MLA/ MLC reservation quota, the duo were the only contenders for the sprawling 1,531.70 sq ft property.
Dr Karad is now the sole beneficiary for the upscale asset. The parliamentarian, who hails from Aurangabad, is a retired paediatric surgeon. He owns a 50-bed multi-speciality hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar’s Nutan Colony.
At Crescent Tower, there were a total of eight apartments of varying carpet areas up for sale under the housing lottery. Of them, five came under the general public category, and one each under Scheduled Caste, MP/ MLA/ MLC and state government employees reservation categories.
