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The state government of Maharashtra has approved the payment of rent arrears to 672 residents of Patra Chawl in Mumbai from January 2018 to February 2022. The residents will receive Rs 25,000 per month for the period, which will be paid by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). The earlier Maha Vikas Aghadi government had agreed to pay rent from March 2022 when MHADA took over the redevelopment of the project. However, the residents persisted with their demand for rent arrears, and the government has now approved the payment of the same. The decision comes as a major relief to the residents who have been out of their homes for over a decade.
Last month, a meeting was held between the residents' association and MHADA officials, where the residents agreed to accept rent from the time the developer had been removed by MHADA, that is, from January 2018. The residents submitted a copy of the resolution to MHADA.
The rent arrears to be paid by MHADA will cost around Rs 85 crore for the period from January 2018 to February 2022. In 2021, the MVA government had approved the revival of the redevelopment of Patra Chawl, which had been stalled since 2008. MHADA was appointed as a developer and allowed a floor space index (FSI) of 4 against the original 2.5 FSI. As a one-time special case, MHADA was allowed to sell the flats at market rates to enable the authority to recover the cost it would incur for the project. Experts estimate that MHADA will get around four lakh square feet of built-up area to construct, making it one of the authority's most profitable ventures.
The decision to pay the rent arrears has come as a relief to the residents who have been struggling to pay their rent and have been out of their homes for over a decade. The residents have been assured that their homes will be ready and allotted to them by the year-end. However, this is not the first instance of redevelopment projects being stalled in Mumbai. Several redevelopment projects have been stuck due to various reasons, including disputes between the developer and the residents, lack of funds, and regulatory hurdles.
The issue of stalled redevelopment projects has been a cause of concern for the residents of Mumbai, and the government has been taking steps to address it. The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has been playing a crucial role in resolving disputes between the developers and the residents. The government has also been focusing on providing affordable housing to the residents of Mumbai, with several initiatives being taken in this regard. However, there is still a long way to go in ensuring that everyone in Mumbai has access to affordable housing.
In conclusion, while the decision to pay rent arrears to the residents of Patra Chawl is a positive development, the larger issue of stalled redevelopment projects and lack of affordable housing in Mumbai needs to be addressed comprehensively. The government needs to take a holistic approach to address these issues and ensure that the residents of Mumbai have access to decent and affordable housing.
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