13 builders owe Mhada Rs 77 crore

Mumbai: Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has registered a police complaint against 13 private developers for failing to pay rent amounting to Rs 77 crore for 572 transit rooms transit homes allotted to them.

The Mhada had provided transit homes to builders at Mazgaon, Lower Parel, Sewari, Byculla, Dharavi and Chunabbhatti, Mulund, Wadala, Sion, Malawani and Dahisar to the 13 private developers. Some of the unpaid dues date back to as early as 1998. The Mhada provides transit homes to accommodate people temporarily displaced by redevelopment projects.

“We have filed a complaint against these developers at the Kherwadi police station. Now, the police will soon file an FIR against them,” Vinod Ghosalkar, president of repair and redevelopment board, Mhada, said. However, these developers are likely to get additional time to  repay their dues before an FIR is filed.

The minimum rent for a Mhada transit home is Rs 6000, which differs from area to area, and also depends on the size of the room allotted. A desk officer from Mhada said, “While few builders meet with the chairman. some have not even replied to the letter sent by us. As per rules, Mhada can seize the deposited amount from these builders”.

Mhada is already facing transit homes crunch even as it launches major redevelopment projects in BDD and Dharavi. Moreover, the state government body has also provided transit homes for those temporarily displaced by the Metro and Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) projects.