The long-awaited redevelopment of Patra Chawl, famously known as Siddharth Nagar in Goregaon, has finally reached its conclusion. After nearly 16 years of delays, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) is set to officially hand over the keys to the original tenants.
The project, which includes 672 self-owned flats, marks a significant milestone in the redevelopment process. Original tenants, who have been waiting for over a decade, are now able to take possession of their new homes, bringing an end to a prolonged period of uncertainty.
After years of delays, the MHADA began construction in 2022, with the plan to build 16 wings on a total plot area of 17,463.30 square meters and a built-up area of 45,200.91 square meters. Each of the new flats features a carpet area of 650 square feet, along with a 117-square-foot balcony.
The flats are designed with modern upgrades, including false ceilings in the living rooms, a service platform in the kitchen, and balconies with stainless steel (SS) glass railings. The redevelopment also incorporates several amenities aimed at improving the quality of life for residents, including two community halls, a play and garden area for kids and senior citizens, and a fitness and meditation centre.
In addition to these amenities, the building is equipped with two elevators in each wing, ensuring convenient access to all floors and a fully automatic firefighting system for enhanced safety.
Initially, the redevelopment project began in 2009, but progress stalled after the original developer went bankrupt in 2017, leaving construction only 40 per cent complete. According to a tripartite agreement between the developer, MHADA, and the tenants' society, the rehab tenements were expected to be ready within 36 months of tenants vacating the original land in 2009. However, the construction ceased in 2015 after rent payments of Rs 40,000 to tenants were also halted.
While the developer continued to pay rent until 2014-15, the project came to a standstill, leaving hundreds of families uncertain. The completion of the redevelopment now brings a long-awaited due, with tenants finally receiving the homes they were promised after years of delays and challenges.
This triggered legal battles, eventually reaching the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The project faced multiple setbacks before MHADA intervened to revive it under the leadership of then-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. In 2018, MHADA cancelled the agreement with the developer due to delays, non-payment of rent, and fraudulent actions involving the selling of land to other private developers.
In 2018, the agreement with the bankrupt developer was cancelled, and a new contractor, Relcon, was appointed in February 2022 to complete the project. The new contractor took on the project, valued at approximately Rs 320 crore, with MHADA also starting rent payments of Rs 25,000 for each tenant in 2018. Similar to MHADA's lottery system, will determine the floor-wise allocation of the 672 flats.
Tenants criticised MHADA for failing to act earlier, stating that MHADA acquired 43 acres out of the 47-acre redevelopment site. They argue that they have not benefited from the project’s gains. They have called on the authority to allocate some of the additional homes within the building to the housing society as a source of revenue for maintenance, and the rest could be used by the authority’s officials. MHADA authorities have completed the previous unfinished development and have obtained the Occupancy Certificate for these homes. Despite these, many tenants remain dissatisfied with the overall handling of the redevelopment project, particularly the lengthy delays and lack of sufficient support.
