In a relief to close to 1,000 homebuyers in Mumbai, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) on April 10 issued partial occupation certificates (OC) to two real estate projects that were constructed under the Patra Chawl redevelopment project, sources confirmed to Moneycontrol.
MHADA on April 10 issued OCs to A, C, D and B (partly) of Kalaptaru Radiance and A and B wing of Ekta Tripolis following the order of the Bombay High Court in a matter where homebuyers from Ekta Tripolis had approached the court pleading for direction to MHADA for issuing OC.
The court had on March 21, directed the MHADA to issue OC to A and B wings of Ekta Tripolis and also directed MHADA to not unreasonably withhold an OC for any other free-sale or rehab buildings that are fully in conformity and compliant with all plans and norms.
The development was confirmed by sources at MHADA and Ekta Developers.
Also read: Patra Chawl redevelopment: Hundreds of home buyers to hit the streets for delayed possession
What is the Patra Chawl redevelopment project?
Patra Chawl, in the Siddarth Nagar area of Goregaon, a western suburb of Mumbai, went for redevelopment in 2008. It had over 670 tenants, and the housing units were spread across 47 acres.
Patra Chawl was originally a barrack constructed by the British during the Second World War and was used as a military camp.
In 2008, MHADA took up the redevelopment project and appointed Guru Ashish Construction Private Limited (GACPL), a sister concern of real estate company Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL), to rehabilitate over 670 tenants and redevelop the locality.
A tripartite agreement was signed between GACPL, the tenants’ society and MHADA. Following this, the tenants moved out from the chawl by 2010 but 14 years down the line, they are yet to get their promised homes.
Additionally, as per the free sale component of the agreement, developers sold apartments to about 1,700 families. The real estate firms who have been involved in this for over 10 years and have built these projects are unable to hand over possession owing to the want of OC.
The home buyers had alleged that it is because of administrative delays and a dispute between the developers and MHADA over alleged pending liabilities of around Rs 3,100 crore.
Homebuyers rejoice
Forty-eight-year-old Nagesh Burla, a homebuyer in Kalpataru Radiance project told Moneycontrol, "Close to 1,000 homebuyers will benefit from the MHADA's issuance of part OC to two projects today. We are thankful to the court and MHADA authorities for issuing OC to our project. We are now expecting to get possession of our apartments in the next one to two months."
