Mumbai: Confusion holds up rehab of Chira Bazar locals whose home collapsed last week

Residents of the collapsed Chunniwala building visit the MHADA office in Girgaon on Monday to initiate the transit procedure. PICS/ASHISH RAJE

Hopeful to move into their new homes on Monday, affected residents of Chira Bazar's Chunniwala building, which collapsed almost over a week ago, will have to wait for another few more days as the paperwork is yet to be completed. While a few residents stated that Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) should have informed them about the entire process on the first day itself when they had been approached, some stated that there was a difference of opinion amongst the tenants.

"We understand that allotting a house just because our home collapsed is not easy. We also did not demand one immediately on the day of the collapse. But they should have told the entire process at one go. That would have saved time, and we wouldn't have needed to spend so many days at someone else's house," said Vanita Tele, a resident who is now living with her mother at a relative's place nearby.

"When we went to the MHADA office last week, they told us to submit a set of documents, including our Aadhaar and PAN cards and other documents that prove our identity. Today [on Monday], they asked to draft a bond and give proof of the collapsed house, either belonging directly or hierarchically to us. So even today is gone. In that, I had asked my sister to go as I had to go to the office mandatorily, considering that I had not gone for so many days. She also couldn't understand much," said Kamlesh Mayekar, another affected resident.

Tele's sister, Rekha Kasurde, told mid-day, "The document that some of our neighbours have signed states that ‘we will be allowed to reside at the transit house till repair works at our collapsed home are completed'. However, the building is not at all in a condition to be repaired and only needs to be redeveloped."

On the other hand, some residents are of the view that the building could be repaired and have thus signed the documents. "Today, we signed the documents and agreed to what is written in the document. We think that if MHADA, which has been building houses for so many years, says that it can repair it, it may be able to do it even though the building has collapsed. Also, MHADA has not mentioned any specific date for vacating transit homes. They have straight away said that ‘till the repair works are completed'."

‘Process a must'

Vishal Biradar, the executive engineer handling this case, told mid-day, "We are trying to accommodate them at our Ghodapdeo transit building. We have told our seniors, and they have kept the orders ready. It's just that this paperwork needs to be completed. We cannot neglect this." Residents have been told that they will be allotted their transit home in the next two or three days.