The residents to boycott ensuing civic polls as a protest against delayed redevelopment project

By Kiran Jadhav

Mumbai: The residents attached to the “Sagar Darshan redevelopment project” located at Worli in South Mumbai, who are fed up with the delay of over three decades in completion of the project, initially due to the threats by extortionists and now undue interference of SRA officials, have decided to boycott the forthcoming BMC polls.

 The work on the project had just begun after three decades. However the SRA CEO Mahendra Kalyankar all of a sudden asked the residents to change the developer without any valid reason, creating uncertainty for nearly 250 poor Marathi families, the society office bearers alleged in a news conference..

 This project was delayed for nearly 30 years, by two developers earlier. However Akash Gupta of “Chintaharni Chintpurni Realtors LLP” obtained all required official permissions with great efforts. The SRA gave permission to go ahead with construction, in October 2024. Accordingly Gupta began work on a war footing. However no sooner the work began, Kalyankar allegedly misusing his position and rights, issued a notice under section 13(2) calling for the removal of the developer Akash Gupta. This served a severe blow to the poor families.

After Gupta began the work, one former Vasai corporator demanded a ransom of Rs 10 crore. A trap was laid and four accused were nabbed while accepting the first installment of Rs 10 lakh. The accused were identified as : Swapnil Bandekar( former corporator), Himanshu Shah, Nikhil Bolar and Kishor Kajrekar.

The fifth accused and mastermind Krishna Kenurkar is still at large. Gupta and the residents have demanded his immediate arrest.

 In the meanwhile a meeting between the society officers and SRA officials is expected to be held to resolve the issue soon. If a stand off continues, we will have no alternative but to boycott the BMC election, the society office bearers said.

Not only Sagar Darshan, the SRA has issued notice under section 13(2) also to another project, accommodating 2054 families, to remove its developer. The matter is pending in the Bombay high court and the issue is yet to be resolved. The SRA’s action amounts to contempt of court, the society office bearers stated.  To whom the law abiding people can approach if the protectors of law themselves become predators ? is the question being asked by the residents.