04 February,2014 07:22 AM IST | | Sujit Mahamulkar
A day after MiD DAY reported on how the owner of a building in South Mumbai's Chira Bazaar was obstructing urgent repair work, officials visited the site and decided to initiate action against the landlord
Tenants of the Morarji Velji building in Chira Bazaar have some relief coming their way. Officials of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) have decided to pursue their case and get repair work done on the dilapidated structure.
Residents have to cover the cracks in the leaking roof to avoid getting wet from the dripping water
The building is around 80 years old and is need of urgent repairs, authorities confirmed. The iron beams holding up the structure have rusted and the roof leaks throughout the day. The walls are cracked, with the paint and plaster peeling off.
The MiD DAY report on February 3. Pic/Bipin Kokate
MHADA's Repair and Reconstruction Board had set apart a sum of Rs 7.5 lakh for the repair work on the building. But, the landlord Kirit Kapadia had refused to let workers carry out the job (âTenants live in fear of collapse, as landlord stops repair work', February 3), even after tenants had agreed to foot the bill.
A day after MiD DAY's report was published, Bhushan Desai, executive engineer of the Repair Board, visited the site. The owner, however, was not in town. But, the Repair board will wait for his return. If Kapadia proves to be an obstruction again, the board has decided to take legal action against him.
"During our visit, we inspected the structure; it needs urgent repairs. We tried to meet the owner of the building, but he was not in town. He will return in four days. So, we will wait till he's back. If he still doesn't cooperate, we will file a first information report (FIR) in the local police station," said Desai.
He also added that the board would send a fresh notice to him for obstructing repair work. Kapadia stays in a top-floor flat of the same building. The building has several senior citizens - one of them is 75-year-old Hiraben Thakkar, who stays on the second floor with her six family members. Her son Nitin (54) is physically challenged.
"We hope our houses will be fixed soon," said Viral, Hiraben's grandson. Another resident, Mitesh Modi (43), was forced to shift out of their home after his father received an electric shock from the leaking walls.
