MHADA flats were now out of bounds for the common man and as the Housing
department was with the Chief Minister, he should look into the matter
urgently, Ajit said.
Targeting Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, NCP today asked
him to direct the state housing body MHADA to lower prices of flats in
this year's lottery, and demanded a clear statement on when the
under-construction Mono-rail and Metro rail in Mumbai would start
operating.
Speaking to reporters here, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the
rich can purchase flats at any cost, but government housing schemes were
for the poor. "MHADA should ensure that there are affordable houses for
the poor and the middle classes," he said.
MHADA flats were now out of bounds for the common man and as the
Housing department was with the Chief Minister, he should look into the
matter urgently, Ajit said.
NCP spokesperson Nawab malik echoed Ajit in his weekly media briefing
later. Malik alleged that MHADA was competing with private builders,
which had made buying flats in Mumbai impossible for the common man. The
Chief Minister should direct MHADA to lower the rates, he said.
In a dig at the Chief Minister, Malik also said that instead of
flagging off safety trial runs of Metro Rail, Chavan should take the
MMRDA bureaucrats to task for delaying various projects in Mumbai.
Chavan is the chairman of MMRDA, a planning body, in his capacity as Urban Development Minister.
Projects such as Santacruz-Chembur link road, some works at Jogeshwari
Vikhroli Link Road, eastern freeway, MUTP-1 have not been completed for
over a decade, he pointed out.
Metro phase one construction started eight years ago but still trial
runs were on, Malik said, adding that instead of "just showing
trailers", Chief Minister should tell people of Mumbai when Metro will
be available.
