Maha politicos sell flats got under CM's quota

Existing norms permit sale of flats allotted under the Chief Minister's discretionary quota after five years. The beneficiaries, most of whom sold the flats, include sons of BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar, Shiv Sena MLC Ramdas Kadam, Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam's wife Geeta, state ministers Vijay Wadettiwar and Padmakar Walvi, Subodh, son of senior Sena leader Subhash Desai, MNS MLA Shishir Shinde and Shiv Sena MP Bhawna Gawli.

Chief Minister Ashok Chavan's close aide from Nanded, Omprakash Pokarna and wife were allotted a flat in 1995, which they sold in 2004. Union Minister of State in the PMO, Prithviraj Chavan, a beneficiary of the quota, however, did not sell his flat, according to information obtained by social activist Anil Galgali through Right to Information law.

Following are some of the prominent names of flat recipients, dates of allotment and sale of the flats: Ramdas Kadam 3/8/1993 and 7/2/2005, Geeta Sanjay Nirupam 9/9/1998 and 17/12/2004, Vijay Wadettiwar 1/8/2000 and 13/10/2005, Subhash Desai 2/1/1996 and 21/2/2003, Padmakar Walvi 15/01/2003 and 16/06/2009, Shishir Shinde 29/03/1996 and 29/052006, Bhawana Gawali 4/12/2001 and 21/012009.

Former ministers Rajendra Shingane and Sidhram Mhetre also sold their flats. NCP chief Sharad Pawar's aide G N Dhuwali, who was allotted a flat in 1995, sold it in 2000.
Ashutosh Prakash Jawadekar, son of BJP leader Prakash Jawadekar, was allotted a flat in Powai on 19/01/2001. He sold it on 4/06/2003, before the mandatory five-year lock in period. Another flat was allotted to Apurva Jawadekar, younger son of Prakash Jawadekar, on 22/08/2008.

Prominent film personalities who sold the flats under CM's quota include actress Varsha Usgaonkar, Nishigandha Wad, playback singer Anuradha Paudwal, actors Milind Gunaji, Ashok Saraf, Bharat Jadhav and director Kedar Shinde.

Reacting to reports that politicians misused the scheme, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said, "There are complaints of people making profit (by using existing norms to sell flats after five years). We will see what changes can be made." Minister of State for Housing Sachin Ahir said government will try to make the allotment process more transparent by bringing it online.

In 1976, the state government initiated the Chief Minister's discretionary quota which allowed citizens from the economically weaker sections to apply for flats surrendered by developers in residential complexes constructed on government land. The idea was to facilitate mass housing for the poor.

Categories to apply for a house under the scheme include journalists, artists, defence personnel and sportspersons. There is also another category which stipulates that the applicant must be in dire need of a place. It is through this provision that politicians managed to get almost 85 per cent of the flats allotted in last 16 years. Of the 3,993 recipients, 2,994 have political links.

Town planner Chandrashekhar Prabhu said the scheme was not only meant for the poor but also for elected representatives who came from far away and needed a place to meet the public. However, these flats were never used for that purpose.

The posh Hiranandani complex in Powai was built on government land and the builder surrendered a large number of flats to Maharashtra Government. Most of these were allotted to politicians at a fraction of the market price.

The flat owners, who paid a couple of hundred rupees per sq ft, made a killing by selling them at market rate, which was in the range of Rs 10,000 per sq ft. Eknath Khadse, Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, said the rule itself permits sale of the flats. "There is a problem with the rule and we should change it," he said.

Several journalists have emulated the politicians by selling their flats after five years. A Marathi newspaper, owned by a senior Maharashtra minister, recently published some of these names but the series was abruptly cancelled before more names came out.