Mumbai: Former housing minister and NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad on Sunday said that Mhada must auction the 8-acre plot it reclaimed from a builder in Juhu instead of making row houses or using the plot for any other purpose. Awhad said the plot is located in a prime area and will fetch more than Rs 20,000 crore. He said that instead of using it for anything else, considering the govt’s struggling financial condition, the plot must be auctioned and money transferred to Mhada. Awhad alleged that many such Mhada plots have been taken over by builders. He urged CM Devendra Fadnavis and DCM Eknath Shinde to appoint a committee to probe and study the JVPD scheme and release all the plots that people have taken over using fake documents. Awhad said if all plots are taken over and auctioned, the govt could earn around Rs 1 lakh crore.
“When I was housing minister, I visited Mhada plots in Juhu. At that time, while checking the files, I noticed that Mhada plots have been grabbed by people in many places. Due to the negligence of officials, Mhada properties worth crores of rupees have gone into the hands of private people. One of the important plots has now been taken over by the govt. I was very happy the govt took possession of the plot and proved the authenticity of the work that I started with evidence,” Awhad said in a post on X.
Recently, Mhada took over the 8-acre Juhu plot from Bombay Slum Redevelopment Corporation Ltd after 20 years. Officials said the demolition of the illegal structures was carried out after the Bombay High Court vacated the stay on removing illegal encroachments from the site. Local BJP MLA Ameet Satam had complained to Mhada and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) that the builder redeveloping Loknayak Nagar, New Kapaswadi, and Shivaji Nagar slums had concretised the 18,000 sq m plot and was converting it into an event space. In 2022, Mhada revoked the No Objection Certificate for an SRA project after it was revealed that a massive open plot, which was not encroached upon, was included in it.
“This was a mega land scam in the making. Mhada taking over the land is a big victory for us. Despite the possession notice, the builder rented out the space for commercial events also,” Satam said.