From: NAPM India <napmindia@napm-india.org>
Date: Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 5:10 PM
Subject: [initiative-india] PRESS STATEMENT : Resignation of Chavan and Kalmadi Welcome; More Action Needed
To: napm india <napmindia@gmail.com>, napmconveners@googlegroups.com, action-2007@googlegroups.com, initiativeindia Groups <initiative-india@googlegroups.com>, napm-india <napm-india@googlegroups.com>, Madhuresh Kumar <madhuresh@napm-india.org>
NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS
A Wing First Floor, Haji Habib Building, Naigaon Cross Road Dadar (E), Mumbai-400 014 Ph. No - 9969363065; Delhi Contact: 09818905316
E-mail: napmindia@gmail.com | Web : www.napm-india.org
Resignation of Chavan and Kalmadi Welcome; More Action Needed
Mumbai, November 9 : The acceptance of resignation of Shri Ashok Chavan, CM Maharashtra and Shri Suresh Kalmadi, by the Congress hours before the winter session of Parliament is a welcome step. Their resignation will surely help the investigations underway against them and many others involved in the Adarsh Housing Society and Common Wealth Games organising but the buck should not stop here. UPA government owes it to the nation that complete responsibility be fixed by investigations through impartial judicial enquiry and CBI in both these scams.
In Maharashtra, however, the Adarsh Society land scam is not an isolated case but is only a tip of the ice berg. Other such scandals include : the infamous Hiranandani Gardens at Powai-Mumbai scandal, wherein 350 acres of land was given at the rate of 40 paisa per acre for the purpose of affordable housing for LIG & MIG; Golibar Redevelopment at Khar Mumbai - where 140 acres of land including 65 acres of Defence Ministry's land is given to Shivalik Ventures-Builder; Atria Shopping Mall - where land reserved for Housing of the disadvantaged & Municipal School has been used to illegally construct the shopping mall near the sea shore; and the NTC Mill land sold to IndiaBulls at minimal costs enabling them to make huge profit within two years. In rural areas, land scams like LAVASA has happened which has encroached upon the tribals and farmers land. These are examples from a long list of land scams that mark the corrupt nexus between builder mafia, politicians and administration of Maharashtra.
The need is to take strict action and press criminal charges against them and others after investigation. NAPM have been raising these cases of corruption but instead of taking any action the government proposes to regularize it, which means that crime is being regularized under the pressure of companies-builders to make space for luxurious real-estate establishments. This has resulted in misuse and misappropriation of land as a commodity for profiteering rather a valuable life support for housing large majority of common people.
The Slum Rehabilitation Scheme is also being crudely and openly misused to ensure vulgarly large profits to the builders and facilitate massive corruption by the politicians-bureaucrats here in Mumbai and elsewhere in the state, by not only getting allotted plots in their own or their relatives names but also seeking huge bribes as is openly discussed in the corridors of power (Please refer to the GoM Tiniaker Report). This has been done at the cost of poor slum dwellers who are invariably deprived of the land under their habitat and due legal housing that they are eligible for. They continue to live in transit towers for years while the Commercial towers get the Occupation Certificate from the corrupt bureaucrats and the builders get the FSI-TDR as has been the case in Adarsh Society.
Under the influence of the builder mafia Government of Maharashtra is completely neglecting and refusing to implement the pro-poor schemes such as BSUP under JnNURM & Rajiv Awas Yojana. This is obvious from the fact that even the single proposal of housing 3,200 families submitted by NAPM under the leadership of slum women and supported by the community has found no clearance. We also presented a full draft plan for the housing of 1 crore people in Mumbai at no cost utilizing the available vacant land, but that too has not been paid any attention.
In this context it becomes necessary that the new Chief Minister ensures a comprehensive investigation in to Adarsh and other scams. There is also a need for review and inquiry of policies like SRA Scheme and investigation in to all the land and housing scams exposed by the people's organizations. Lastly, the need of housing for millions of the poor citizens of Mumbai have to be recognised, the schemes for self reliant housing including BSUP & Rajiv Awas Yojana implemented and before that all the demolition drives of the habitats of the poor and labouring classes under the pretext that the houses are illegal and an encroachment, while the same are to be grabbed by builders should be stopped.
Contact : 9969363065 | 9179148973
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Palash Biswas
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