Mumbai: Declared unsafe a year ago, Manora MLA hostel redevelopment yet to start

In a letter dated October 23 to the PWD, the BMC has said, “As far as the MCGM (Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai) is concerned, it is a local authority and it has no objection for pulling down the building. However, it is pertinent to take remarks from the MMRDA, which is the special planning authority for the  area concerned.”

The civic body has further stated that it can only certify private and municipal buildings as dilapidated and dangerous belonging to the
BMC excluding buildings under the central, state government and special planning authority.

However, an MMRDA official on the condition of anonymity said, “The case is being handled by the PWD and not under the purview of the MMRDA. When inquired about the delay in the redevelopment project, executive engineer (PWD) S D Indurkar said,

“We are awaiting a response from the MMRDA as the file is pending with them.”

After a slab collapsed in a room allotted to NCP MLA Satish Patil last August, the authorities declared the hostel to be in a dilapidated condition. All legislators holding rooms inside the hostel were issued notices to compulsorily vacate them before February 1, 2018.

When pulled down, the building is expected to make way for two towers of 48 and 30 floors each, with around 800 flats of 600 sq ft and 400 sq ft for MLAs to use as personal space as well as office space. Apart from this, parking for 400 cars, a canteen and a
hi-tech gymnasium are on the redevelopment plan.

The NBCC (India) Limited, a Government of India enterprise, has been appointed as project management consultant.
The project is expected to cost the state exchequer anything over Rs 300 crore.

The hostel, which has been in use since 1996, has four multi-storey wings, each housing 84 apartments for MLAs and six service apartments.