Residents of the nearly 100-year-old structure that will house the watering hole claim the leave-and-licence agreement was signed and handed over by society chairman to the licencee without their consent
Chairman of Kismat Park Housing Society in Colaba allowed the construction for Doolally Taproom to start without consulting the residents, Shahpur Irani has alleged. Pics/Suresh Karkera
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Colaba’s Kismat Park Housing Society residents are livid. After ensuring that their decades-old resolution — no flat owner can rent/lease out property to a food and beverage outlet — was abided by all this while, September 2016 brought with it Doolally Taproom on the premises.
Allegations fly
Residents have alleged that the leave-and-licence agreement to rent out the Park House Annexe section of the building for the next five years was signed without their consent and knowledge by advocate Dilip Jhangiani, society chairman, and two members of his family who own the section. It has also been alleged that illegal construction work was carried out within the premises for setting up the microbrewery outlet.
Residents added that they are afraid of voicing their allegations out loud because Unmesh Raote, son of transport minister Diwakar Raote who belongs to the Shiv Sena, is a friend of Dilip Jhangiani and has a vested interest in the project.
“This is completely against the nature of the committee resolution that was passed in the 90s,” said Shahpur Irani, a resident. “When we ask to have a closer look at the society documents as well as the resolution papers, he (Jhangiani) uses some excuse and does not give us access to them.”
According to the sub-registrar papers procured by mid-day, the agreement between two members of the Jhangiani family and Brewcrafts Microbrewing Pvt. Ltd. was signed on September 12, 2016, for a monthly rent of R3.15 lakh and Rs 2 lakh (for the ground and first floor that together constitute the section).
Political spoilsport
Troubled residents took their woes to local corporator Makrand Narvekar (NCP). “I am not aware if the formalities required to obtain a health licence from the BMC have been fulfilled,” said Narvekar, pointing out that the requisites for obtaining this licence are much more stringent in the case of old buildings. He also claims to have written numerous letters to the civic authority pointing out the same. “We will ensure that if the establishment coming up is illegal, it will not see the light of day.”
The other sides
When mid-day approached Unmesh, he said: “I don’t know anyone called Dilip Jhangiani. I am an IT professional and run IT training institutes in Andheri and Goregaon. I have never heard of Kismat Park in Colaba as I don’t visit that side of the city frequently.”
Despite repeated attempts, Dilip Jhangiani remained unavailable for comment.
Manager of the society Laxman Naik said Dilip Jhangiani was out of the country, adding, “I don’t remember the particulars of the resolution since it happened a long time ago. I was not the manager at the time.”
Doolally co-founder Suketu Talekar, while showing proof of all the requisite permissions procured, said he was unaware of the problems as they came to light only after construction started in September.
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