A resident of a dangerously dilapidated pagadi building named Pai Building in the Parekh Estate at Charni Road, Mishra’s situation sheds light on the growing plight of thousands of tenants trapped in the cracks of an outdated rental system and apathetic landlords
Shakuntala Mishra, 72, at her home in Pai Building, Charni Road. PIC/RITIKA GONDHALEKAR
In yet another stark example of how elderly citizens are left helpless in the city of dreams, 72-year-old widow Shakuntala S Mishra lives each day in fear — not of death, but of the crumbling ceiling above her head and walls that develop new cracks each day. A resident of a dangerously dilapidated pagadi building named Pai Building in the Parekh Estate at Charni Road, Mishra’s situation sheds light on the growing plight of thousands of tenants trapped in the cracks of an outdated rental system and apathetic landlords.
Speaking with mid-day from her dimly lit one-room home, Mishra recounted her growing anxiety as chunks of plaster continue to fall from the ceiling. “Every night, I sleep close to the wall so I may have a chance to survive if the ceiling collapses,” she says with a weak smile. With no children or close relatives to support her in the city, she depends on the money that her sister sends from Delhi every month. But even her deep-rooted resilience falters in the face of a decaying structure and an unyielding landlord who, according to her and other tenants, has flatly refused both redevelopment and the option to sell.
“I’ve lived here since I was born in 1952. My husband passed away in 2016. I stayed on because this was home — until the cracks began to show. Now, even the walls groan,” she says, pointing to a long zigzag fracture across her room’s ceiling.
Not enough repair work
According to the residents, the landlord neither carries out adequate repairs nor does he redevelop the building or permit the tenants to sell their houses. “Almost a decade ago, major repairs were done through MHADA, which is why the building is at least standing. We also managed to get local MLA funds and built toilets for the residents. Enough garbage to fill eight large dumpers was piled up behind the building which we cleaned through the BMC since our landlord hadn’t appointed any cleaning staff. There is also no lighting in the common passage. The landlord lives in Ahmedabad. He never receives our calls and refuses to accept the letters and rent,” said Jitendra Ghadge, a resident of the building.”
Multiple tenants allege that the landlord has declined all requests to transfer tenancy rights, leaving them with no legal escape route as well. “Since 1970, he has been lodging cases against almost all tenants — sometimes for eviction, sometimes questioning our authority over the house. He had lodged one against us in 2004, where he had challenged that I have no right over this house. This house is in my mother’s name. And in the court, he had presented his case stating that I was not her daughter. As he couldn’t prove the same and we had all the documents to prove our side, the court, in 2016, dismissed the case and closed it in my favour due to lack of evidence from his side,” Mishra said, adding that they had a tough time in those 12 years as they had to visit the court multiple times.
Since 2016, Mishra has been trying to move to her sister’s place in Delhi by selling off this house. However, the landlord isn’t allowing her to sell. “Every time I inform him of having a potential buyer, he says he will not give an NOC to sell my house. As per pagadi system rules, I have also told him that I am ready to pay 35 per cent of the sale value. But he refuses. I requested him to buy the room at 65 per cent of the market value. But he denied that too. Now, if I leave this house, he will just encroach on my property and on the other hand, it’s a risk to continue staying here,” said Mishra.
When mid-day approached MHADA, an official refused to comment stating that he is not allowed to, and the official’s senior did not respond to calls. Also, despite multiple calls and text messages to the landlord Girish Parekh, he did not respond till the time of going to press.
Mistake by MHADA
As per information provided to mid-day, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) officials did not put up the 79 (A) notice released by the authority on June 5 this year. But the eviction notice released on June 20 was pasted on the doors of each house by the officials. “When we visited the MHADA office and questioned them regarding this, the officials apologised and accepted that there must be some mistake,” said Ghadge, adding that the officials pasted the 79 (A) notice around July 15 and immediately removed it after the visit to their office. A voice recording of this conversation is in mid-day’s possession.
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