Adarsh effect: Netas shun cheap MHADA govt flats

Mumbai: As a direct fallout of the Adarsh and Rajyog housing societies imbroglios, politicians seem to have lost interest in acquiring more than one flat in public housing schemes. 

    At the recently concluded lottery for the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) flats, four of the eight locations where flats were reserved for elected representatives received no applications; few applied for houses at other locations. 
    A similar trend was noticed in the lottery for 4,034 Mhada flats held last year. In 2011, no applications were submitted at five of the 11 locations, moreover, there were fewer applicants for 78 flats that were reserved for elected representatives. 
    Senior officials said it was unusual that there were few takers forMhada homes reserved for politicians. "It may be possible that most legislators already own a house in Mumbai and hence won't apply again," said an officer. "After the recent housing scams, we assume no one wants to risk it anymore," he added. 
    Stung by poor response, the housing authority is planning to eliminate the economically weaker section (EWS) and low-income group (LIG) flats from the quota reserved for politicians. However in the 2010 lottery, legislators Manikrao Mhaske and Kalyanrao Patil bagged two Mhada flats each, after they applied in both HIG and LIG categories in contravention of norms. During the tenure of CM Ashok Chavan, Nitin Raut, Aneez Ahmad, Harshvardhan Patil, Bhai Jagtap and Rajesh Tope among others were given flats at throwaway prices in Mhada's Rajyog society in Versova, despite owning one or more apartments in Mumbai. 
    This year, there were no takers for the 14 EWS dwellings and merely three politicians applied for LIG flats in Mira Road, Malwani and Charkop, thirty-nine applications from politicians were received for six reserved flats in the Middle and High Income Group category in Gorai, Charkop and Powai. Nearly 51% of the total flats put up on sale by Mhada are meant for the public. The remaining are reserved for Scheduled Castes, defence personnel, Mhada, state and central government employees, journalists and the physically challenged categories. 
    A total of 2% flats are reserved for serving/ex-elected representatives. Under the rules, if flats in a reserved category don't get enough applicants, they can be released to the general section.