Patra Chawl tenants face financial crisis as rent payments delayed

Additionally, tenants who have flats registered in the name of their fathers and other family members have been asked to go through a succession process, which reportedly costs them over Rs 1 lakh.

As a result, rent payments for these tenants, totalling over Rs 16 lakh, have not been made. These tenants are facing extreme financial issues, said Dalvi.

MHADA has agreed to pay the aggrieved tenants a monthly rental of Rs 25,000 starting from 2018.

The Patra Chawl redevelopment project has been lagging behind for 14 years. Nearly 672 tenants vacated their houses between 2009 and 2010, and rent payments were made until 2014 and 2015 by the developer who later went bankrupt. Thereafter, rent payments were stopped for two years. The matter went up to court including NCLT.

The project faced multiple hurdles, leading to further delays. After the change in government headed former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, MHADA appointed a new contractor to continue the incomplete project. Now, work on the construction of 16 wings, each 11-storey high, is progressing.

According to MHADA officials, they aim to complete the construction work by the middle of the next year, indicating that they are making efforts to expedite the project.

A senior MHADA official cited that the delay in rent payments was due to system updates.

Besides, the Patra Chawl Tenants’ Association has now taken their grievances to the Bombay High Court.

They are seeking fresh agreements for their houses as part of the tri-party agreement that was supposed to be facilitated by MHADA.

They argue that this agreement would bring transparency and confidence to the redevelopment project.

However, despite appointing a new contractor, MHADA has failed to make any agreement.