MHADA takes 14 years and counting to repair flat! |
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Gita Jhunjhunwala at
her flat in Arisa Mahal, Walkeshwar showing
the missing wall
of the balcony
The arrival of yet another monsoon is bad news for 61-year-old Gita Jhunjhunwala. Her flat in Arisa Mahal, Walkeshwar is in a shambles. Shell probably need rain shoes even while indoors.
The wall of the balcony is missing, and the first rains have already flooded the house, she sighs. All her furniture is gathered in the centre of the room.
Jhunjhunwala adds, My ceiling is chipping off. I even had to summon the fire brigade on May 25 when a part of the ceiling fell.
The problem is the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). They have been repairing her flat for 14 years. Even though MHADA contractors have come and gone over the years, the repairs still havent finished.
Jhunjhunwala says, Back in 1988, MHADA gave the contract to repair my house to one Oriental Contractors. The contractor broke a part of the house and took Rs 55,000 from us to get iron rods for the ceiling, never to come back.
Jhunjhunwala says that, since then, every time she approaches MHADA officials they send a new contractor, who comes and conducts some kind of inspection, but never returns to complete the work.
Meanwhile, MHADA officials tell a different story. We want to repair the house, but the Jhunjhunwalas are not co-operating, says T M Bhuvandas, deputy chief engineer, MHADA.
Bhuvandas adds that the contract has now has been given to Spectrum Construction and that repairs on the flat will be carried out soon.
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