The Con game of BMC
Article that came in the Times of India - Mumbai April 26, 2010
Mumbai: Residents of Garodia Nagar in Ghatkopar are upset with the BMC,which has asked them to pay Rs 2.95 crore within 15 days for the revamp of the drainage system in the area.The people alleged that the civic body had pushed back the project as a result of which the cost had escalated and so they were being compelled to pay such a high amount.
The assistant assessor and collector,N ward,served the demand notice to the Garodia Nagar Welfare Federation (GNWF) recently,asking them to collect the amount from all the housing societies.In its notice,the civic body said the consolidated amount of Rs 2,95,34,178 was being sought as the residents share1 /3rd of the costfor the laying of a sewerage in the area.
The residents moved court after a series of inspections by civic officials confirmed that the drains in Garodia Nagar were dysfunctional,which led to the spilling of the waste into the precincts of a few other buildings.In August,2004,as an interim arrangement to reconstruct the drains,the Bombay high court directed the BMC to collect the residents share.
GNWF secretary G T Jadeja said,In December 2004,following our correspondence,the BMC informed us that the total cost of the project will be Rs 3.19 crore.Since then,we have been asking them to show us the break-up of the amount to be shared by housing societies.
Now,after all these years,they suddenly want nearly Rs 3 crore,almost equivalent to the entire project cost,going by the 2004 rates. Residents said they were being forced to shell out extra because the BMC took so much time.Had the work started in 2004,the residents would have had to pay only Rs 1 crore as their share, Jadeja said.Owing to the BMCs delay,the project cost has now increased to around Rs 9 crore.Why should the residents bear the brunt when the civic body itself pushed back the date.
There are 155 housing societies in the locality,of which 131 are affiliated to the GNWF.KVR Warrier,another member of the federation said,Each society will have to pay something between Rs 70,000 and Rs 3 lakh,depending on the size of their plot.My housing society,with 30 members,has been asked to pay Rs 2,25,000.
Jadeja said the court had pointed out that the 1/3rd share was an interim arrangement and in the final order it would be determined who would have to bear the entire cost.He added,The BMC has carried out similar projects with money from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission fund.They should do the same for this project.
B Shirshat,local corporator,however,said,The residents need not pay any amount as the sewage problem has been sorted out. Disagreeing with Shirshat,Jadeja said,The problem still persists as the sewage from several societies still runs into the stormwater drains,which are covered and cannot be seen from outside. Additional municipal commissioner Anil Diggikar said,I am not aware of the issue.
The assistant assessor and collector,N ward,served the demand notice to the Garodia Nagar Welfare Federation (GNWF) recently,asking them to collect the amount from all the housing societies.In its notice,the civic body said the consolidated amount of Rs 2,95,34,178 was being sought as the residents share1 /3rd of the costfor the laying of a sewerage in the area.
The residents moved court after a series of inspections by civic officials confirmed that the drains in Garodia Nagar were dysfunctional,which led to the spilling of the waste into the precincts of a few other buildings.In August,2004,as an interim arrangement to reconstruct the drains,the Bombay high court directed the BMC to collect the residents share.
GNWF secretary G T Jadeja said,In December 2004,following our correspondence,the BMC informed us that the total cost of the project will be Rs 3.19 crore.Since then,we have been asking them to show us the break-up of the amount to be shared by housing societies.
Now,after all these years,they suddenly want nearly Rs 3 crore,almost equivalent to the entire project cost,going by the 2004 rates. Residents said they were being forced to shell out extra because the BMC took so much time.Had the work started in 2004,the residents would have had to pay only Rs 1 crore as their share, Jadeja said.Owing to the BMCs delay,the project cost has now increased to around Rs 9 crore.Why should the residents bear the brunt when the civic body itself pushed back the date.
There are 155 housing societies in the locality,of which 131 are affiliated to the GNWF.KVR Warrier,another member of the federation said,Each society will have to pay something between Rs 70,000 and Rs 3 lakh,depending on the size of their plot.My housing society,with 30 members,has been asked to pay Rs 2,25,000.
Jadeja said the court had pointed out that the 1/3rd share was an interim arrangement and in the final order it would be determined who would have to bear the entire cost.He added,The BMC has carried out similar projects with money from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission fund.They should do the same for this project.
B Shirshat,local corporator,however,said,The residents need not pay any amount as the sewage problem has been sorted out. Disagreeing with Shirshat,Jadeja said,The problem still persists as the sewage from several societies still runs into the stormwater drains,which are covered and cannot be seen from outside. Additional municipal commissioner Anil Diggikar said,I am not aware of the issue.
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