Chembur tenants agree to move

In a significant push to the heavily delayed Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) construction,tenants have agreed to vacate the New Tilak Nagar housing societies in Chembur,with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) agreeing to resettle them within 24 months. MMRDA officials said the consent came after residents of the 13 MHADA buildings went to the […]

In a significant push to the heavily delayed Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) construction,tenants have agreed to vacate the New Tilak Nagar housing societies in Chembur,with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) agreeing to resettle them within 24 months.

MMRDA officials said the consent came after residents of the 13 MHADA buildings went to the Bombay High Court seeking approval for resettlement in new buildings to be built by MMRDA before the tenants vacating the premises. They had fears about the time it would take for the resettlement,that it would go beyond 24 months. But approvals for layouts for the new buildings will be obtained from MHADA and the BMC in due course, said P H Warwadekar,MMRDA Planner.

The tenants will have to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and vacate the premises within 15 days. The tenants will have to leave within 15 days of signing,failing which MMRDA can take forcible possession and demolish the buildings, Warwadekar said. So far 96 tenants have signed the MoU; 164 remain.

The buildings are in the carriageway of the proposed SCLR. According to Warwadekar,demolition can start by mid-November.

Till the new buildings are ready,the MMRDA will provide the tenants an allowance as rent for their alternative accommodation. If it crosses the 24-month deadline,the MMRDA will raise the allowance by 10 per cent. Under the current plan,tenants in the middle-income group will be given Rs 14,000 a month and those in the lower-income group Rs 11,000 a month.

The SCLR,which is part of the showcase Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) funded by the World Bank,has been facing serious delays due to various issues. The dispute over the tenants of the 13 MHADA buildings has taken nearly eight months to resolve,a senior official added. The new deadline for completion of the road is 2011-end.

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