Prakash Ambedkar-led MDF puts Maha CM in the spot over affordable housing for the poor

The mystery of the huge convergence of people thronging the Mantralaya on Tuesday and Wednesday with applications for homes that had left the UPA government baffled is over It has emerged that Maharashtra Democratic Front MDF led by RPI leader Prakash Ambedkar was behind this ideaThe Front had put the government on edge by asking party supporters to submit forms for homes built under Powai area development scheme approved by the state in 1986The scheme was devised by MMRDA as directed by then Congress government led by Vasantdada Patil It was a tripartite agreement between the state MMRDA and titleholders of 230 acres spread across three villages in Powai whose power of attorney was with Niranjan HiranandaniThe scheme ran into rough weather when MMRDA had to go for itrsquos assessment following large scale complaints of violation of agreement terms and conditionsThe authority had slapped Rs 2000 crore penalty which was reduced to Rs 200 crore in 200809 At least three PILs have been pending at Bombay High Court seeking action on the issueThousands of men and women gathered at the Mantralaya and submitted the forms printed by the MDF at Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavanrsquos office on both Tuesday and WednesdayThe applicants in hundreds first appeared at Mantralaya on Tuesday sending the policemen on security into a tizzyThe officials caught off guard had to accept the forms but issued a clarification in the media that there was no such scheme and the applications were fakeBut despite the clarification a few thousand people gathered at Mantralaya on Wednesday morning when the state cabinet meeting was having its weekly meeting at Sahyadri state guesthouse at Malabar HillThe forms printed and distributed by the MDF states that the state government had approved the Powai area development scheme in 1986 with the noble cause to make available poor and needy people homes at cheaper ratesThe 230acre land allotted for the cause was made available for 40 paisa per acre to Hiranandani Builders The homes to be built were of 400 sq mtrs and the cost for each home was fixed at Rs 54000 The applicants claimed that since they didnrsquot own a house in Mumbai they should be allotted a flat at the fixed cost The applicants further went on to state that the allotment would help the government help realize the Congress slogan ldquoCongress ka haath aam aadmi ke saathrdquoThe MDF is a conglomeration of 15 political parties and prominent among them are Bhartiya Republican Paksha led by Ambedkar CPI Bhalchandra Kango CPIML Shyam Gohil Satyashodhak Party of India OBCNT party of India Lal Nishan Party and othersDr Ujwala Jadhav spokesperson of MDF said the move was for a demand to make available homes to poor and needy people The state had entered into an agreement with Hiranandanis for construction of affordable homes But instead of adhering to conditions the builder constructed big palatial homes and ignored agreement that said homes with 40 and 80 sq meters will be constructedEven though the matter is subjudice the HC had directed the builder to construct 5000plus homes as per the terms and conditions of the agreement The Front claimed that the state government was though ignoring the issue instead implementing itJadhav added that MDF had decided to take up the issue on behalf of people who were forced to vacate their homes in Powai to make way for construction of Hiranandani Garden since she claimed the state wasnrsquot ready to speed up the construction of homesThe MDF had on January 27 organised a morcha in Powai from Kanjurmarg station to Hiranandani Complex