You should know your rights as a housing society member?

By

-

September 26, 2021

Co-operative societies are largely a voluntary endeavour and the committee members are more often than not law-abiding citizens. It only behooves individual members to do their part and contribute positively towards the idea of communal living. But most of the time these volunteers take the residents for granted by throwing unwanted weight. As a resident of the owner of the flat, you must know your rights.

Model bye-laws can be quite bewildering if it is your first time as a member of a co-operative. However, with a little personal effort and research, the law can most definitely be turned into a trusted ally rather than a tormentor. Knowledge of your rights makes your life easier; not just because it encourages compliance with model bye-laws, but also because it helps you handle regular life scenarios more effectively.

We often face uncertain or unwanted situations in life that demand attention, forcing certain changes in our schedules and plans. Knowing your basic rights with respect to your living situation makes you well-prepared for such times. Whether you need to relocate to a different city, want to rent your apartment, suspect any malpractice in the society’s committee, feel the need to voice your opinions and ideas for the betterment of the society, or simply just wish to be a part of the bigger picture of a gated community, it makes complete sense to know your rights as a member first and foremost.

The biggest irony is that the said ‘Rights of Members in a CHS’, remains only on paper, never implemented in total due to loopholes in the system. The committee with the support of their favourite members manipulate the rules as per their own whims & fancies, they do not hesitate to exploit the innocent honest members of CHS who end up as a victim fighting a lone battle against Corrupt & Mal be practice if the arrogant Sec/ Chairman & Treasurer. Due to long protocols & multiple window systems, the so-called competent authorities also give a deaf ear to the grievances of the member.

In case of grievances first, you make a written request to the social committee and take an acknowledgement. And if the committee doesn’t provide you with the information required by you say within 15 days of your letter, you can file a complaint at Registrar. Most of the time the Officials in Registrar’s office are never responsive to any such initiative or complaints. You have to have that nag on following up with these registrars. Housing societies are governed bound via the implementation of the respective By-Laws of the respective state. You have to file a formal complaint i the housing society. Do contact a lawyer practising in real estate who can access the details of your particulars and represent you to your apartment committee.

A new form, M-20, has been inserted whereby elected members of managing committees have to declare they are jointly and severally responsible for all the acts and omissions detrimental to the interests of the society.

“Lack of professionalism, transparency, insider/connected borrowing, and political interference is the bane of cooperative banks. This has taken a toll on their financial health. The new measure will deter managing committee members from taking arbitrary decisions,” said a senior co-operative banker. According to another co-operative banker, the new rules could prove to be the proverbial double-edged sword.

So under the new rules, if an advance which was extended during the tenure of a member goes bad, he will be liable for it even if he ceases to be a member of the managing committee,” he explained. Residents of co-operative housing societies, who normally are reluctant to take up the honorary responsibility of looking after the affairs of the society, are expected not to join managing committees. Every elected member of the managing committee of a society shall execute a bond on a stamp paper, as provided under the Bombay Stamp Act, 1958, within 15 days of his assuming office.

The chief executive officer/secretary of the society shall receive such bonds and keep them in the records of the society and accordingly inform the Registrar of Societies within 15 days from the formation of the committee.

Further, under the rules, a provisional list of voters should be prepared by every notified society in the year in which the election of the society is due to be held. Persons who have completed a minimum of two years as members from the date of their enrolment should be included in the provisional list.

The Registrar, Cooperative Societies, has become irritating for the residents. The committee members feel as powerful as the president of this country and take the residents on a ride randomly over their own issues. Most of the time the residents become victims of such circumstances due to a lack of unawareness. They misunderstand that the social committee is the supreme power.

Under the Cooperative Societies Act, the powers of the Cooperative Committee and the rights of residents are clearly specified. Moreover, every society member should seek a copy of dos and don’ts, along with society formation agenda. You have every right to seek accountability from committee members.

MVA govt won’t last long as DNAs of three ruling parties are different, says BJP’s C T Ravi

By

Web Team

-

September 26, 2021

BJP general secretary C T Ravi on Sunday said the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra would not last long as the DNAs of the three ruling parties were different. He also claimed that the sentiments of people in the state were against the MVA government.

The Shiv Sena had parted ways with the BJP after the 2019 Assembly polls and formed the government with the NCP and the Congress. Before that, the Sena shared power with the BJP for five years (2014-19) with Devendra Fadnavis as the chief minister. Ravi, who is BJP’s in-charge of Maharashtra, was speaking to reporters at Kalyan in Thane district on the sidelines of his party’s organisational meeting.

“Following the statements of the Shiv Sena leaders there is a discussion that the BJP and the Sena would come together once again and that the days of the MVA government are numbered,” he said.

He was apparently referring to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s recent speech, in which he addressed leaders including Union minister Raosaheb Danve of BJP as former and possible “future colleagues”. The CM’s remark had triggered speculation as to whether a political realignment was in the offing.

“The DNAs of the three ruling parties – Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena – are different. In the last election, the BJP and the Sena had contested the election jointly and people voted for the leadership of Fadnavis. But despite that, the Shiv Sena betrayed the BJP and joined hands with the Congress and the NCP to form the MVA government,” Ravi added. But we are observing as to how many days this government survives and we are of the opinion that it won’t last long, he added.

The BJP leader said that during the tour of Maharashtra, he has observed that the atmosphere was against the MVA government.

“In a democracy, the citizens are the judges…In the coming days, they will themselves take a decision on this,” he said.

Govt plans to intensify operations against Naxals, chock flow of funds, act against frontal groups: HM Shah

By

Web Team

-

September 26, 2021

Intensifying operations against the Naxals and chocking the flow of funds to them were the two key issues discussed at a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and attended by six chief ministers and top officials of four other states here on Sunday, sources said.

Action against frontal organizations of the Maoists, filling up the security vacuum, concerted action by the Enforcement Directorate, the National Investigation Agency and the state police were other vital issues discussed during the nearly three-hour-long meeting.

The chief ministers who attended the meeting were Naveen Patnaik (Odisha), K Chandrashekar Rao (Telangana), Nitish Kumar (Bihar), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Uddhav Thackeray (Maharashtra), and Hemant Soren (Jharkhand), official sources said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bhupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan did not attend the meeting. Their states were represented by senior officials.

According to sources, intensifying operations against the Naxals, filling up the security vacuum, chocking the flow of funds to extremists, and concerted action by the ED, the NIA, and the state police were discussed threadbare in the meeting.

Focused investigation and prosecution of cases, action against front organizations, coordination amongst states, capacity building of state intelligence branches and special forces of the states, construction of fortified police stations were other issues discussed at the meeting.

The home minister reviewed with the chief ministers and officials the security situation and ongoing operations against Maoists and development projects being carried out in the Naxalism-affected areas, the sources said.

Shah took stock of the requirements of the states, the strength of forces deployed to tackle the extremists, development works like the construction of roads, bridges, schools, and health centers being carried out in Naxal-hit areas.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the Maoist problem has been reduced to only three districts in his state and the meeting discussed what is required to be done to reduce it further.

The development issues which were discussed at the meeting include road connectivity, speeding up the construction of long pending roads, improvement of a telecommunication network by upgrading the mobile towers installed in the last five years in Naxal-hit areas, and expedition of installation of the more mobile towers in poor network zones.

The central government is also planning to set up Eklavya schools and ensure coverage of post offices in all gram panchayats in Maoist-hit districts.

Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, Giriraj Singh, Arjun Munda, and Nityananda Rai also attended the meeting.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director of Intelligence Bureau Arvinda Kumar, senior civil and police officers of central and state governments also attended it.

According to the Union Home Ministry’s data, Maoist violence has reduced considerably in the country and the menace is prevalent now in just about 45 districts.

However, a total of 90 districts in the country are considered Maoist-affected and are covered under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme of the ministry.

The Naxal problem, also called Left Wing Extremism (LWE), was reported in 61 districts in 2019 and only about 45 districts in 2020.

About 380 security personnel, 1,000 civilians, and 900 Naxals have been killed in different violence in LWE affected areas from 2015 till 2020.

A total of about 4,200 Naxals have also surrendered during the same period, the data said.

Ties with India destined to be ‘stronger, closer and tighter’: US Prez Biden after meeting PM Modi

By

Web Team

-

September 26, 2021

pm modi, narendra modi, joe biden, biden, us president, pm modi in us, modi in us — Image: Reuters

US President Joe Biden, who recently held the first in-person bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the ties between two of the world’s largest democracies–India and the US– are destined to be “stronger, closer and tighter”.

On Friday, Biden hosted PM Modi at the White House for the bilateral meeting and discussed a wide range of priority issues, including combating COVID-19, climate change, trade and the Indo-Pacific. PM Modi described the bilateral summit with Biden as “important” as they’re meeting at the start of the third decade of this century.

He also held one-on-one meetings with the chief executives of Qualcomm, Adobe, First Solar, General Atomics and Blackstone and discussed a number of issues ranging from drones to 5G, semiconductor, and solar power. US and India are committed to taking on the toughest challenges both countries face together.

“This morning, I hosted Prime Minister Modi at the White House as we launch a new chapter in the history of U.S.-India ties. Our two nations are the largest democracies in the world, and we’re committed to taking on the toughest challenges we face — together,” Biden tweeted. Prime Minister Modi, who was on a three-day visit to the US, held his maiden bilateral meeting with US President Biden and attended the Quad leaders Summit.

Since January, PM Modi and Biden have participated in three summits. Two of them were hosted by President Biden – the Quad virtual summit in March and the Climate Change Summit in April which was also held virtually. Prime Minister Modi on Saturday concluded his itinerary-packed 3-day visit to the US.

Biden and Modi started their talks with comments on the promise of the India-US relationship, the areas they would work on like COVID-19 and climate and the importance of the Diaspora. Their opening remarks were sprinkled with jokes and laughter, interspersed with a serious outlining of the discussions ahead. Modi said that under Biden’s leadership the seeds had been sown for India-US relations to expand and that they were entering a “transformative phase”. In this context, he mentioned the growing importance of people-to-people ties and said Indian talent would be a “full partner” in this relationship.

Besides holding talks with US President Biden, the Prime Minister also met with United States Vice President Kamala Harris and Prime Ministers of Australia and Japan on Thursday. On September 24, US Vice President Harris met PM Modi to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the two countries, the White House informed in a statement.

“They discussed the COVID-19 pandemic and collaborative efforts to respond and recover, including cooperation on vaccine production under the Quad Vaccine Partnership,” said White House. According to the statement, Harris welcomed India’s commitment to resume vaccine exports and the progress of its domestic vaccination campaign. Both US Vice President and Prime Minister Modi agreed that ambitious action to combat climate change was imperative in the face of the climate crisis.

“They each emphasized a commitment to democratic values and discussed the need to strengthen democracy at home and abroad. They supported expanding bilateral security cooperation in the face of modern threats, including terrorism and cybercrime,” the statement said.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said both PM Modi and US Vice President Harris appreciated, the India-US bilateral relationship, which they felt were on strong footing with given the shared values, common interest in growing strategic convergence.

PM Modi today returned to New Delhi after concluding his three-day US visit.

Alia Bhatt’s ad sparks debate over ‘Kanyadaan’, is it an outdated ritual or important custom?

By

Afternoon Voice

-

September 26, 2021

The bride, pretty, radiant, and in red, sits in front of the sacred fire, her family, the groom, and his parents around, the love flowing like a balmy breeze. And in that arguably most precious moment, she looks into the camera and asks — why must a woman be commodified through the custom of ‘kanyadaan’, literally ‘donating a girl’?

The ad for a ‘lehnga’ brand featuring Bollywood star Alia Bhatt as the much-indulged daughter and granddaughter has fired debate on social media platforms and elsewhere on the age-old tradition of giving away the daughter. Many term it Hindu phobic for casting aspersions on a ritual that is part of the warp and weft of society, others appreciate it for calling out the patriarchy that underscores the custom and some feel it should have gone even further in its rejection.

“There is a growing number of young women who are beginning to think about the issue, especially as an increasing number joins the workforce, has access to ideas (via social media, etc) that are critical of the ‘women as property’ concept. This ad reflects that” sociologist Sanjay Srivastava told PTI.

In the 1.41-minute ad, Bhatt, the self-assured woman of today who also does a selfie pout with her father while at the ‘mandap’, recalls her lifetime of ‘othering’ in a monologue — her fond grandmother saying she would one day go to her own home, her father not reacting when people called her “paraya dhan” (alien property) and her mother calling her a ‘chidiya’ which would fly away one day.

The Manyawar ad ends with the grooms’ parents also joining in in the ritual (though it is unclear whether they too are giving away their son) and Bhatt’s bride saying it should be ‘kanyamaan’ (respect for the girl child) not ‘kanyadaan’, and asking, “Am I a thing to be given away?” Her angst finds a wide echo.

Actor Dia Mirza, who decided to do away with the rituals of both ‘braai’s and ‘kanyadaan’ when she got married to businessman Vaibhav Rekhi, said they wanted the wedding to reflect their ”beliefs and not outmoded ideas”. “Neither of us believes that women are commodities to be given away or ‘donated’. Women have agency, selfhood and can make decisions about their lives on their own so my wedding reflected exactly that by not including a ritual like ‘kanyadaan’,” the actor told PTI.

She even engaged a woman priest for her wedding to emphasize gender equality.

“It is time for young couples to define how they want to get married and if their ceremony is truly representative of their personalities and love for each other,” said the actor, who is also the United Nation’s National Goodwill Ambassador from India.

The ritual of giving away the bride is, of course, not just about Hindu weddings. It is also a vital part of a Christian wedding service where the father walks down the aisle with his daughter and “hands her over” to the waiting groom.

Brought up on tradition and a diet of popular culture, including movies both Indian and western, many women have now begun to question the patriarchal traditions of wedding ceremonies across societies.

Mumbai-based IT analyst Meghna Trivedi, who got married in February last year, said the ritual of ‘kanyadaan’ does not make sense in today’s day and age but had to undergo the ritual anyway.

Trivedi, a Gujarati who married a Punjabi, said she asked the priest to find another way but he maintained ‘Kanya Daan is a ”must”.

“What you mean by ‘Kanya Daan is that you’re giving away your daughter to somebody else and that is something you have to do in your life and it’s related to your duties as a parent that now your daughter belongs to another family,” she told PTI.

”But I’m still my parents’ daughter after I got married… ‘Kanyadaan’ is like you’re giving me away and you have nothing to do with me anymore… You’re severing ties like I’m some object basically that you’re giving away. My parents did understand it but the issue was ‘this is how it is, has been, and will be’.” Actor Kangana Ranaut was among those who disagreed.

Criticizing the ad in an Instagram post, she said, ”Humble request to all brands… don’t use religion, minority, majority politics to sell things… Stop manipulating naive consumers with shrewd divisive concepts and advertising… Please stop mocking Hindus and their rituals…” A Twitter user echoed similar sentiments.

”Our traditions are not regressive; your mindsets surely are! Kanyadaan is a sacred tradition, where a father/parent parts with their most precious and cherished daughter, a bittersweet emotional moment filled with hopes, promises, and dreams,” the user wrote.

Women’s rights activist Shabnam Hashmi said the attacks on the ad “reflect the highly patriarchal mindsets of our society”.

“It is a very progressive advertisement and raises important questions of women’s dignity and equality,” Hashmi told PTI.

Sociologist Shrivastava added that people reacted negatively because there is an increasing intolerance against anything that is seen to question ‘Indian traditions’. The reaction, he said, also reflects a ”male anxiety” about the changes that are happening in addition to the current climate where it has become difficult to question anything Indian/Hindu.

Some felt the ad didn’t go far enough.

“The idea should not be to perpetuate the custom but to break away from it,” said a young woman, who welcomed the ad and the questioning of traditions but would have preferred that it didn’t end with the parents of both sides taking part in it. A radical break would have been more effective in sending out the message, she said.

However, a debate reflects a churn. And in that sense, any discussion is welcome, even if it has unlikely beginnings in an ad for a bridal lehenga.

Pol Khol – Maha Vikas Aghadi to expose Devendra government’s scams

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

September 24, 2021

The BJP, especially BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, has been constantly accusing the ministers in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government of corruption. The BJP is accusing Hasan Mushrif, Anil Parab, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the Chief Minister’s wife and some other tall leaders from the ruling parties. The Maha Vikas Aghadi refuted BJP’s accusations, while some ministers have also called for a defamation suit against Somaiya.

The senior leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi have now taken notice of the allegations levelled against the ministers of the Mahavikas Aghadi. It is known that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government will also give the same answer to the BJP. It is learned that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government will take out the cases of scams during the Fadnavis government.

BJP’s Kirit Somaiya told Afternoon Voice “Let them play Pol Khol. BJP is one of the cleanest political parties that work in the interest of people with the agenda of development. The ruling party really needs to sweat out to discover and establish corruption in the Devendra Fadnavis government.”

Sources also said that a special committee has been formed to probe the scams during the Fadnavis government. The committee will consist of one member from each of the three parties, Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP. As a result, scam cases of former BJP ministers are also likely to come out soon.

Bhau Korgaonkar, Shiv Sena Sampark Pramukh said, “Shiv Sena is an organized party was itself born from an aggressive movement. ‘Saam Daam Dand Bhed’ is our tag line. We always have been Tit for Tat. In a fight, might is always right. We will never hit below the belt. Yet if anybody isn’t understanding it calmly, then we have a judicial-to-judicial justice. A mannerly political directive action shall be taken against anyone. SS will be fighting this struggle till the final outcry by prejudice.”

Vidya Chavan, MLC from NCP said, “It is very unfortunate that the problem that can be solved in the Assembly House is dragged to the court. I have seen that in many debates and discussions the opposition agrees to certain points. When Fadnavis was CM, they had ill-treated the Shiv Sena subordinate party. The BJP never thought that Trident governance can evolve with a Trio of Sena, NCP and INC. They are finding it tough to adjust themselves in the opposition.”

She further said, “They should not politicize issues related to women and children. They should have a parliamentary session, crimes on women and child abuse are taking place all over the country.”

It is wrong in a democracy the ruling and opposition are not within their limits. The opposition always creates a problem of priority to issues in the Legislative house. The problem to prioritize matters of concern through questions and answers is not happening. Women molestation is a national problem. The well debated orthodox will on superstition was not enacted as a bill in the parliament, although the legislation had amended and then passed it. So now a parliamentary session should take place. This governor is politically motivated, you can suggest and advise us by an operating system, rather than publicizing and creating a fuss of your point of view,” said Shivajirao Moghe, Cabinet Minister from Congress.

Defamation suit against Kirit Somaiya

After Maha Vikas Aghadi ministers Anil Parab and Hasan Mushrif were accused by Kirit Somaiya, the two will now file a defamation suit against Somaiya.

“For the last few months, Kirit Somaiya has been accusing me without any evidence. I have filed a claim of Rs 100 crore for this. It also demanded an apology. Evidence is also attached. I will get justice in this,” said Minister Anil Parab.

Sadly, the saviours of Mumbai Mangroves and salt pans are scarified Part – 2

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

September 24, 2021

coastal, coastal road project, india, mumbai development, mumbai roads, coastal, mumbai, mmrda, bmc, redevelopment — Image: egis-india.com

If we look at 2019’s final draft of DP, 2,100 hectares of salt pan lands are now demarcated for the construction of 10 lakh affordable housing development, 1,100 hectares for tourism development and only 30 hectares for salt pans.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) inspected the bridge and found it to be in a miserable condition. The bridge connects the station to Saifee Hospital and Hinduja College. After BMC’s inspection of several bridges, many structural defects were detected on Charni Road’s north end Foot Over Bridge (FOB) that connects the station to Saifee Hospital and Hinduja College.

The authorities have closed the bridge for pedestrian access, however, the period for the bridge being non-functional is not known. Going towards Churchgate, the Western Railway has decided to shut down the foot over bridge (FOB) at Dadar Station from May 14 2019. This happened after the audit report submitted by IIT-Bombay suggested its demolition. It has been mentioned that the structure of the bridge is not safe and should be demolished.

The WR informed that the South FOB at Dadar station will remain closed for the safety of passengers from May 14 onwards. This bridge is heavily used by the passengers while moving through platforms on the West side of Dadar station. However, the report mentions that the 6.5-metre-wide iron bridge that was built in 1993 is not ready to take such heavy traffic.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to remove the rooftops from 21 FOBs on Western and Eastern Expressway. MMRDA informed that they have taken this decision to avoid unnecessary load on the bridges.

After the Maharashtra government confirmed to raze 54,000 mangroves for the bullet train project, Congress leader Milind Deora urged then CM Fadnavis to find solutions in order to protect the mangroves and salt pan lands. In order to make way for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream project to construct the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, the Maharashtra government has confirmed that 54,000 mangroves will be removed across 13.36 hectares of land in Maharashtra.

This has raised serious concerns among several environmentalists and the opposition parties. They were vocal about saying that such development plans that are compromising mangrove and salt pans will put Mumbai at Risk, serious questions were raised. However, with the Maharashtra government razing 54,000 mangroves, it seems that they have forgotten the lessons of the 2005 flood in Mumbai that killed over 1,000 people and the city faced huge losses.

Congress leader Milind Deora urged the then Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to find solutions in order to protect the mangroves and saltpan lands. even the people of Mumbai request the government to refrain from any development activities on the saltpan lands after the state government proposed affordable housing on the same.

The Maharashtra government’s decision to remove 54,000 mangroves to make way for the bullet train project was confirmed by state Transport Minister Diwakar Raote in the ongoing state legislature monsoon session. 1,781 acres of salt pans spread across Mumbai to be opened up for real estate.

Salt pans are crucial to Mumbai’s ecology, as according to a 2016 Mumbai Metropolitan Reg-ion Development Authority report, they safeguard the city against floods. Salt pans spread over 1,781 acres (721 hectares) in Mumbai are set to be opened up for development. The land, whose current market value will be around Rs 53,000 crores, is almost twice the size of Mumbai’s prime commercial hub, Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), which is spread over 914 acres.

FSI up to 8 in areas near commute centres like Dadar station, Andheri station, Churchgate station. In the Govts development plan 2034, it has been mentioned that areas near busy railway stations and metro stations will get an FSI up to 8. This means that taller buildings will be the way to go in the future. In a land-starved city like ours, going vertical is the only option.

Opening up of the Eastern sea-front land. If you’ve ever driven on the Eastern Freeway, you would’ve realised that on the East of the Freeway there are a lot of these shipbuilding yards, dock areas, etc. Well, that land belongs to Mumbai Port Trust. Mumbai port is one of the most inefficient ports in India, with a lot of costs and not enough revenue to compensate for the costs. The government has thought of opening up the 1800 acres of portland for development in a ‘planned’ manner. Time will tell how well-planned it is, but 1800 acres of extra land in our city can do wonders.

While MMR limits are only till Dahisar in Western suburbs, Mulund in the Central suburbs and Mankhurd in the Eastern suburbs. The entire Navi-Mumbai and Thane belt is one of the fastest developing real-estate markets of India. It’s very interesting to see that Mumbai’s Mantralaya is at the southern tip of Mumbai; Nariman Point. The govt is supposed to be central, both in terms of governance and location. A good idea would’ve been to have the Mantralaya to someplace in Navi Mumbai so that the city could’ve been planned more efficiently since, unlike Mumbai, Navi Mumbai didn’t have the problem of being water-locked from 3 sides.

The entire development would’ve been centred around Navi Mumbai. In the future too, the areas of governance will be far off in Nariman Point or maximum they’d consider BKC. How much ever MMR expands, it’s always going to be in the ‘far-flung’ suburbs.

See any real-estate ad today and they’re all offering you the luxuries of life at low costs. The luxury real-estate trend is here to stay as the people of the city get more exposed to the lifestyle, they’ll start demanding it more. The cost definitely will not be as low as it is today. Mumbai can’t have an affordable housing market and we should stop expecting that. A great investment today for the next 20 years would be to find a real estate project which gives you the most amenities with the least neighbours. True exclusivity and luxury will always be the ‘space’ that you get in Mumbai.

Let us hope, by 2035 we will have the Metros currently planned phases up to and running. Commutes will become hassle-free but not for very long, Mumbai is that person who throws a huge party for everyone but always invites more people than it can host. Housing for all in Mumbai is a real task because not everyone will be able to afford it.

Ramifications of obliterating the natural buffer between the Arabian Sea and the island city.

Any suggestions, comments or disputes with regards to this article send us at feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com

Mumbai Bank under the scanner; opposition leader Pravin Darekar is the chairman of the bank

By

Afternoon Voice

-

September 23, 2021

In the audit tests of Mumbai Bank, many defects and discrepancies were found. In inquiry order under section 83 of Mumbai Bank order to submit inquiry report within three months, action will be taken as per section 88 after the report.

The co-operation department has directed a probe into the alleged irregularities in Mumbai Bank, which has been under discussion for the past several years. For this, District Deputy Registrar Pratap Patil has been appointed as the investigating officer. It has been directed to submit this report in the next 3 months. BJP leader Praveen Darekar, Leader of Opposition in the State Legislative Council is the Director of Mumbai District Central Co-operative Bank.

It is alleged that in the name of renovation of the disaster recovery site and construction of it, the bank officials visited the site in Pune and inspected it. But the contract was awarded to the person who actually wanted to be awarded the contract. Not only that, 90 per cent of the contract amount was immediately made available. This has also been mentioned in the report.

Pravin Darekar told Afternoon Voice, “Resume the impartial inquiry of State Co-operative Bank. There is a scam in Pune District Central Bank. Check out their purchase. Software worth Rs 15-20 crore has been acquired for Rs 150 crore. We will lodge regular complaints against the NCP-led district banks and co-operative societies in the state and expose the scams in Maharashtra.”

In the year 2017, there was also a controversy over an Rs68 crore loan sanctioned to a firm under scanner in the irrigation scam by Mumbai District Central Cooperative Bank. Darekar and other BJP members used their majority to approve the loan despite objections from various quarters. The firm did not fulfil several conditions, yet the loan was sanctioned and partly disbursed in record time.

Sadly, the saviours of Mumbai Mangroves and salt pans are scarified Part – 1

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

September 23, 2021

In the name of development and vertical structures, roads, housing schemes, Mangroves and Salt pans that are crucial to Mumbai’s ecology, safeguard the city against floods. On October 21, 2019, then the state’s chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, had announced several projects to woo voters. But one announcement that went under the radar was the opening up of Mumbai’s ecologically sensitive salt pans for the development of low-cost housing.

Mumbai has a total of 5,300 acres of salt pan lands and this entire area was marked as wetlands. In 2016, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) conducted a study and gave a report that only 25 acres of these 5,300 acres of salt pan land are developable, which is perennially land-starved, the salt pans are few of the remaining land parcels on which no development has happened so far. These land parcels have been under strict coastal regulation zone (CRZ) rules which restrict development. But with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) having a strong majority at the centre was trying to change this.

The state, however, was supposed to make its laws for the use and development of salt pans, after it gave its consent to the Centre to put salt pans in the concurrent list in Schedule VII of the Constitution. Currently, all issues related to salt pans come under the Union commerce and industry ministry. But no such things happened till today, the governments are changed but not the fate of Mumbai or its ecological factors.

Maharashtra has nearly 13,000 acres of salt pans, with 5,300 acres in Mumbai, followed by around 2,000 acres in Vasai and 2,000 acres in Palghar. Of the 5,300 acres in Mumbai, the city’s Development Plan (DP) 2034 allows for 1,781 acres to be developed. However, it is not yet clear if the state will open up the entire 1,781 acres for construction, as a part of it may come under environmental regulations. For years, the state has been pushing to open up salt pans for housing projects, but the proposal has been stuck owing to contentious issues, such as the land-sharing formula between the Centre and the state and ongoing litigation.

The Maharashtra government welcomed the proposal to transfer the subject of ‘salt’ to the concurrent list in the Schedule VII of the constitution and has no objection to the same,” stated a letter issued by the revenue department, on behalf of the state government, on May 10, 2019. It was issued in response to a query raised by the joint secretary and acting salt commissioner, seeking the state’s views over incorporating salt pans in the concurrent list.

The state government is keen on unlocking these plots and provisions for the same were also made in the development plan 2034. The DP had earmarked 321 acres (130 hectares) of salt pans to be used for affordable housing. The ownership of salt pans has been contested between the Centre and state for more than three decades, with the last suggestion coming from the UPA-I government, to share the land on a 50:50 basis between the state and the Centre.

In 2017, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests revised the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 and excluded salt pans from wetlands, which means these tracts in Mumbai could be open for development. Following this, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) started resurrecting the city’s salt pans to study if it was feasible for building affordable housing.

A total of 3,355 hectares of salt pan lands are spread across MCGM in Dahisar, Goregaon, Mulund, Bhandup, Kanjurmarg, Nahur, Ghatkopar, Turbhe, Mandale, Chembur, Wadala and Anik. These lands, which were classified as salt pan lands and no development zones (NDZs) for decades are now open for new development is not only a threat to the ecology, but these sunk lands can be dangerous for human lives ahead.

Any suggestions, comments or disputes with regards to this article send us at feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com

Google suing India antitrust watchdog for investigation report leak

By

Web Team

-

September 23, 2021

Alphabet Inc’s Google on Thursday said it was suing the Competition Commission of India (CCI) following the leak of a confidential CCI report into an antitrust investigation of the U.S. tech giant.

The Times of India newspaper, and then Reuters, reported on Saturday that a CCI investigation had found Google abused the dominant position of its Android operating system in India, using its “huge financial muscle” to illegally hurt competitors. Google said last week it looked forward to working with the CCI to “demonstrate how Android has led to more competition and innovation, not less.”

In Thursday’s statement, the company said it had filed a legal challenge against the CCI at the Delhi High Court “to prevent any further unlawful disclosures of confidential findings.” Google said it was “protesting against the breach of confidence which impairs Google’s ability to defend itself and harms Google and its partners.”

“We cooperated fully and maintained confidentiality throughout the investigative process, and we hope and expect the same level of confidentiality from the institutions we engage with,” its statement added. The CCI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the legal action.

A Google spokesman declined to comment on whether it had sought to cease and desist orders on further media coverage of the contents of the CCI report. India’s antitrust authority ordered a probe in 2019, saying Google appeared to have leveraged its dominance to reduce device makers’ ability to opt for alternate versions of its mobile operating system and force them to pre-install Google apps.

Its 750-page report subsequently found the mandatory pre-installation of apps “amounts to imposition of an unfair condition on the device manufacturers” in violation of India’s competition law. The report, which has been seen by Reuters but which is not public, also found the company leveraged the position of its Play Store app store to protect its dominance.