Mumbai: Contractor abandons residents of Dadar building mid-repairs

For the residents of Dadars Prarthana Apartments prayer may really be the only way forward For more than a year they have been forced to watch their homes crumble before them despite paying nearly Rs 50 lakh for repairs At the heart of the issue is a mysterious tale of blackmail and threats which allegedly caused the contractor to quit the project midway This is not the first time that a builder has left citizens in the lurch by quitting a project midway but sets this case apart is a bizarre tale of blackmail and threatsPrarthana Apartments PicsBipin KokateThe residents of Prarthana Apartments contracted Sharved Reinforce Constructions to start the repairs in March 2015 at a cost of Rs 50 lakh Most of this amount has already been paid but the company suddenly quit work in April 2016 In a letter to the building society Sharved proprietor Arvind Bhalerao stated that a false complaint had been filed against him because of which he would no longer continue workResidents show the crumbling walls in their homeHug and kissesIt turns out that the problem began after one of the residents began asking questions about the repair work Last March she found a letter that had been slipped under her door stating in English Pipe work is beginning in the building and you should stop opposing me If you dont then I have a video clip of you hugging and kissing another resident I will make this publicThe repairs have been stuck in limbo for more than a yearThe woman recalled The police came to investigate and in the course of the inquiry the cops spoke to some workers too The contractor quit one month laterStatus quo woeFor the last 20 months the residents have been living in limbo unable to convince the contractor to return and complete the project To make matters worse the buildings society committee also dissolved earlier this year and few want to volunteer for the job For now the building is under the charge of an administratorcumauditorIn a Catch22 situation unable to fork out more money for repairsMeanwhile some refuse to pay maintenance charges Rs 5500 every quarter pointing out that they have lost lakhs in the incomplete repairs Each resident there are 28 flats in the building claim they have paid Rs 12 lakh to the society for the repairsResidents of the building where many flats have crumbling walls and cracked beamsRamesh Parab who lives on the second floor said that the civil repairs had affected the gas pipes and electrical wiring too I had to make do without gas and electricity for twoandahalf months I got it repaired myself I paid R1 lakh out of my pocket for the repairs what has been doneBut Rameshs immediate neighbour Judith Monteiro pointed out that the residents could not afford to do nothing any longer The beams and columns in numerous flats require repairs but they have been left halfway What if the building comes down on us she questionedThe contractor was supposed to paint the building and repair the cracked compound floor without which we fear the building may start sinking into the ground she added pointing to a huge cavity on the ground floor temporarily filled with bricksThe other sideArvind Bhalerao proprietor of Sharved Reinforce Constructions told midday that the allegations of threats and blackmail were only part of the reason for his quitting If the residents think I left the work halfway the courts are open to them and they also have recourse to the police The housing society owes me Rs 105 lakh How can I continue the work when money is owed to me I have not done any shoddy work he saidCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news current affairs from Mumbai local news crime news and breaking headlines hereDownload the new midday Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go