What did Prakash Mehta do?
This Slum Rehabilitation Authority project was granted to SD Corporation in the late 90s. They have already built two towers called Imperial Towers. As part of SRA they had to build housing for slum dwellers, which they did. Meanwhile, in 2008, as per the national housing policy, it was decided that minimum area for SRA tenements should be 25 square metres (269 square feet). Earlier it was 20.9 square metres (225 square feet). An increase of 44 square feet.
The Fadnavis government in 2015 ruled that all decisions on additional square feet and extra FSI should be made by SRA.
SD Corporation approached the CEO of SRA, who was to retire in a few months, saying that about 2,000 tenement dwellers did not want the additional 44 square feet. SD Corporation sought transfer of the slum dwellers’building rights to a new scheme for project affected persons (PAPs). The CEO, instead of taking a decision, forwarded the proposal to the housing department.
The housing department noted that: a) Mumbai’s development control rules do not permit withdrawal or transfer of the building rights from slum dwellers.
b) The government can issue special directions to SRA under Section 3K only in case of policy and not for granting benefit to any builder
c) The government or the minister did not have the authority to make decisions in such cases as all powers were delegated to the CEO of SRA.
What did Mehta note on the file?
Mehta overruled objections made by Sanjay Kumar, additional chief secretary for housing department, and illegally approved the proposal. Mehta’s notes on the file are cryptic.
He wrote: “Society’s General Body Resolution should be taken. Government will get PAPs. The Chief Minister has been apprised. The project is approved for getting PAPs.”
What happened after the revelation?
There was panic in the government. The CM immediately cancelled the order. The minister writes on the file that the CM has been apprised. The CM says in the legislature that he knows nothing about it, that the minister did not discuss it with him. Who is telling the truth?
What are your demands now?
We want the CM to sack Mehta. We want the inquiry to be conducted by a judge of the High Court. We want all 137 files cleared by CEO-SRA two weeks prior to his retirement to be reviewed. Who is this builder who can shake up the government? All his projects should be investigated.
Who is Mehta’s godfather? We all know that the CM was not keen to induct him into the cabinet but did to do it under pressure from the BJP high command.
Do you feel the CM is involved?
That’s the whole point. Either the minister draws his power from someone much higher than the chief minister and took him for granted. Did Delhi tell Mehta to get it done? But why would Delhi bother Mehta when it can simply tell the CM to get it done? Or, it was done with everybody’s knowledge and now they are disowning it.
If that is the case, it will be difficult for the CM to sack him. So what is the truth? Dal mein kuchch kala hain! (There is something fishy.)
