Mumbai: 20 years after home razed in Santacruz East, woman wins battle for SRA flat

Vaishali Jadhav, who finally got her flat in Siddharth Vikas SRA co-op housing society, with her daughter. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

It took Vaishali Jadhav, 48, two decades to get the home she was entitled to. Jadhav, who kept on visiting the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) office for years, shifted from the rented home to her own on Saturday. It was her mother and daughter who gave her the moral support, and a lawyer who gave a final push.

The slum where Jadhav resided in Siddharth Nagar, Santacruz East, was demolished as part of the SRA scheme. But Jadhav, then 28 years old and living with her husband and seven-year-old daughter, was shocked to know that she was declared ineligible to get a flat in the developed building. Jadhav rushed to SRA to make an appeal but couldn't get any relief. She was asked to see the deputy collector, Mumbai Suburban district, to get justice.

"As I was declared ineligible, the developer, who was paying me rent, stopped handing it over in 2005. Meanwhile, a dispute arose with my husband, forcing me to live with my mother and daughter in a rented flat. I started working as a maid in a nearby building," Jadhav told mid-day.

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"I would get up at 6 am daily, prepare lunch for my mother and school-going daughter, and go to work. Then, I would come back and go to the SRA office." The redeveloped SRA building was ready and allotment of flats was done in 2007, but Jadhav was still fighting for her rights.

"Finally, after fighting for 14 years, in June 2016, SRA officials found that I was eligible to get a flat in the Siddharth Vikas SRA co-operative housing society. But my happiness died as soon as I came to know that the flat allotted to me had been allotted to someone else. I started a new fight to get the person living in the flat evicted," she added.

After engaging in this battle for nearly two years, Jadhav eventually lost her patience.

"I had gone to Apex Grievances Redressal Committee, which ruled in my favour in November 2019 stating that the occupant must evict the flat, but there was no change in the situation. Then the COVID-19 lockdown came and everything stopped. I thought I would not get justice, but around 2021, someone suggested that I meet Advocate Santosh Sanjkar."

Advocate Sanjkar, president of the NGO Right to Shelter, said, "As soon as the case came to me, I found that justice had been denied to the poor woman. We met SRA officials and asked why the eviction hadn't happened. Finally, after following up with SRA officials, orders were given to evict the family living in room number 404. And in May 2022, the keys of the flat were handed over to Jadhav."

On November 19, Jadhav and her daughter had a housewarming and shifted into their new home. She couldn't hold her tears back when she entered the flat. "Even after being allotted a flat, I was harassed by the earlier occupant and his family, who live in the next flat. My mother passed away in October 2022, after which I decided to move into my home. I am happy that this 20-year-old struggle has borne fruit," she said.

Jadhav's daughter, Ketana, said, "Since childhood, I only saw my mother working or taking me to the SRA office when I was not attending classes. She struggled a lot and funded my education. Now I've got a job and am helping her."

Sanjkar said authorities like the SRA should come up with a timeline to decide the eligibility of applicants. "Like Vaishali, many are suffering in the city and making rounds to get their work done. I hope this case will boost the morale of such citizens," he said.