Q&A with MMC chief Ravindra Jadhav: ‘We don’t want to render residents of dilapidated building homeless’

(Pic: MMC Public Relations/Special Arrangement)

A big two-storey ‘C’ building in the Ayesha Nagar locality has once again drawn the attention of the general public as well as the press. Reason; the Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) has intensified its efforts to get what the civic body terms the ‘dangerous’ building evacuated. In an interview with the Founder and Editor-In-Chief Ashfaque Ismail, MMC Chief Ravindra Jadhav tries to allay fears among its residents and unveils the civic body’s alternative plans for them. Excerpts;

Q: It seems the civic body under you has accelerated its efforts to get the said building evacuated. Why does the MMC want to get the residents out of it now?

Ans: A few years ago before I came here, the MMC conducted a structural audit of the building. After several site visits and inspections, the department concerned prepared an audit report and concluded that the building was not fit for residing in it. It was dilapidated and dangerous for the inhabitants. It can fall down any time. Around one and a half month ago, a slab collapsed. This incident raised an alarm and heightened our concern for the safety of the residents. This was the inflecting point forcing the MMC to accelerate its steps to get the residents out of this dangerous abode. 

Q: Most of the residents demand that instead of relocating them, the MMC should reconstruct the building on the present spot and rehouse them there only. Your comments.

Ans: The building was constructed approximately in the year 1972 for housing civic body workers especially those working in the sanitation department. Since then, many of its inhabitants have either left, given their rooms on rent or sold them through illegal transfer of ownership by signing a bond paper. Only 25-30% of the original inhabitants are now staying in it. Rest are not staying in the building any more. Around 60% present residents don’t have any right to stay in that building. Despite that, we are still giving them an alternative shelter as we don’t want to inconvenience them. Our aim is to ensure that they have a roof over their head. We do not want to render them homeless. 

Q: But a few residents have expressed their resentment over your resettlement plans. Could you elaborate what alternative the civic body has planned to provide to them?

Ans: At present, 142 families are staying in the said dilapidated building. Around 12-15 families have started showing their willingness to shift to the new location. We are hopeful that soon all the residents will accept our resettlement alternative. We have our plans ready. So far, we have constructed 92 houses under the Integrated Housing & Slum Development Programme (IHSDP) in the 11,000 colony locality, an eastern suburb. There we are providing all the necessary civic amenities. The number of these houses may go up if the need arises in future.

Q: What is the Integrated Housing & Slum Development Programme (IHSDP)? Do the residents need to shell out an amount from their own pocket to get new houses under the scheme? 

Ans: The IHSDP, as the name suggests, is a housing scheme of the Government of India for the poor and the downtrodden. The members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have to spend only 10% of the total cost of the house. The remaining 90% is borne by the Central government. The MMC is just an implementing agency of the scheme. Similarly, those belonging to the Open and other than SCs and STs category have to spend 12% from their pocket of the total cost of the house.

Q: To be specific, have you received any direct proposal, suggestion or demand from the residents or a body representing them in favour of their resettlement on the present spot only?

Ans: I cannot tell you whether there were any such proposals that cropped up for discussion during the times of previous Municipal Commissioners. But I can tell you for sure about my tenure. To be honest, I haven’t received any such representation from residents or their bodies. Even if we assume that we are going to accept their demand and resttle the residents on the present spot only, we still need to evacuate them. This is just an assumption. The reconstruction of the building on the present spot will take at least 3-4 years’ time. But this proposal is not feasible. The MMC has no other option at its disposal but to relocate the residents to the new 11,000 colony locality.