Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is set to distribute the keys for the initial batch of BDD flats in Worli on July 21, right after the conclusion of the legislative session.
Milind Borikar, Chief Officer of the Mumbai Board at Mhada, stated that 556 flats, each with a carpet area of 500 sq ft, will be allocated in this first phase. “By the end of the year, we will receive 3,989 flats across the three sites,” Borikar mentioned. While preparing to hand over the flats to the tenants, Mhada, the nodal agency overseeing the BDD chawls redevelopment project, has issued a notice to the project contractor, TCC Construction Company, due to its failure to deliver the flats on schedule.
Mhada has levied a penalty of Rs 13 crore, which encompasses both the penalty and escalation charges, as well as unliquidated damages. This notice was issued on July 2. The 556 tenants will be relocated to the D and E wings of Building No. 1, with each wing comprising 40 storeys. “The buildings have already obtained the fire NOC, and connections for water and electricity have been established.
A proposal for an occupation certificate has been submitted, which is anticipated to be granted in the coming days,” a source revealed. The first group of tenants, who were temporarily housed in transit flats owned by Mhada at Srinivas and Century Mills in Parel, will be moved into these new buildings. The structure consists of eight wings, each standing 40 storeys tall.
Construction on the various buildings has faced delays ranging from 11 months to two months. Sources indicated that the D and E wings were expected to be completed and handed over to Mhada in July of the previous year, but the new handover date is now set for July 31.
For wings B, C, F, and G, the delay amounts to nine months each, while wings A and H are delayed by two months each, as stated in the notice. Sources also mentioned that the contractor has replied to the notice, and a decision will be made following a thorough review of the response.
With the BMC election due at the end of the year or alternatively early next year, the Mahayuti govt is keen to ensure that a maximum number of residents, most of them Marathi-speaking, are rehabilitated in their new flats.
