The flip-flop over the inquiry and criminal proceedings against sitting and former legislators who have applied for Mumbai Housing and Area Development Board’s high income group flats in Versova has begun.
Parliamentary affairs minister Harshvardhan Patil had proposed flats at the Rajyog Cooperative Housing Society in Versova for legislators, who did not have homes in the city. As per the Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority Act, 1976, even if a legislator has been allotted a hostel room at the MLA hostel, he/she is ineligible to buy affordable homes provided by the Mhada. However, several legislators have been flouting the rule.
On Monday, a MHADB official had announced that criminal proceedings would be initiated if legislators, who have applied for Mhada homes are found to own a home in Mumbai. But on Wednesday an official from the housing board said that since no complaint has been received by them, an inquiry cannot begin. This, ironically, is despite the chief minister announcing on Tuesday that an inquiry would be conducted on the issue. “How can we begin investigations? We have not received a single complaint opposing the proposed Rajyog Cooperative Housing Society or the legislators who already own a home,” a housing board official said on condition of anonymity. The list of legislators, a copy of which is in possession with The Asian Age, includes MLC Bhai Jagtap, who lives in Bandra and home minister R.R. Patil, who already has a house in Mumbai.
MLA Divakar Raote, minister of state for urban development Bhaskar Jadhav, minister of tribal development Babanrao Pachpute, and labour minister Hassan Mushrif too have an eye on the same Mhada flats.
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Man missed mom, wife, hangs self
Age correspondent
Mumbai
May 12: A 30-year-old chartered accountant committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan at his residence in Kurla on Thursday morning.
Jujjar Mohammad Hussain Khandwawala, lived in the Gol building in Kurla (west). A suicide note was recovered from his residence, which said that he had lost the desire to live. “I am sorry, daddy. I am missing mummy. I don’t want to blame anyone for this,” read the suicide note.
“Jujjar had lost his mother six years ago and had been divorced for three years. We suspect that all this had kept him depressed,” said police sub-inspector A.A. More, Kurla police station.
Jujjar lived alone while his father, brother and sister-in-law lived in a building opposite the Gol building. “When Jujjar did not come for his usual breakfast, his father went to his apartment to check on him and saw Jujjar hanging from the ceiling fan. He then alerted the neighbours and other family members, after which the police was notified,” added Mr More.