Medha Patkar protests transfer of inquiry of Mumbai’s Ganesh Krupa Society
Mumbai, Jun 28: Social activist Medha Patkar along with thousands of slum dwellers participated in a rally in Maharashtra on Tuesday to protest against the transfer of the inquiry of Ganesh Krupa Society and 15 other societies
Inhabitants of Ganesh Krupa society in Golibar, Khar East region in Mumbai, have been fighting to save their homes from builders and the corrupt government officials who want to illegally take over their land for redevelopment under SRA (Slum Redevelopment Auhtority) scheme.
While talking to mediapersons, Patkar said that we have organised a 'Struggle Rally' from Golibar to Mantralaya (Administrative Headquarters of Maharashtra State Government, Mumbai) to express our displeasure over the betrayal by the government as it will adversely affect hundreds and thousands of slum dwellers.
Patkar was on a nine day fast to protest against the government's decision to hand over 140 acres of land to Shivalik Ventures - a private builder.
"Since the past several years we have been arguing for 'Right to shelter' for the hundreds and thousands of poor people in Mumbai (capital of India's western Maharashtra state) and that has reached its peak. For that cause we went on fast (nine days). It was not only me but it included 1200 people as well," said Patkar.
She has been demanding the removal of Maharashtra Slum Areas Act, 1971, clause-3K, which allowed the government to take over land without seeking the consent of slum dwellers and to investigate all projects sanctioned under this scheme.
The provincial government had formed two committees comprising government officials and citizen representatives to probe the alleged irregularities in the slum rehabilitation project at Golibar and 15 other cases of corruption and misappropriation in rehabilitation schemes, following Patkar's 9-day fast.
"Two committees were formed under the chairmanship of Justice Suresh and these were only fact-finding committees which were (aimed) to investigate the voluminous reports which are proving to be fraud in the case of every single SRA (Slum Redevelopment Auhtority) where the builders have played a game without taking the consent of the people and the cooperative societies. They are going ahead, pushing atrocities by involving police for acquiring land," she said.
Earlier, she had demanded that till the government does not take strong action against Shivalik Ventures, also linked with the 2G spectrum allocation scam and permanently stops the demolition at Golibar, her hunger strike which has entered the sixth consecutive day on Thursday (May 26) would continue.
Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) officials and hundreds of police officers on January 20, 2011, came to demolish the houses of Ganesh Krupa society, citing a court order.
The MHADA and the police officials ignored the directive of the court, in which it had directed the builder to provide habitable transit camps, registered agreements, and rehabilitation within 500 metre of their present homes. But none of these conditions have been met till now.
The Bombay high court stayed the committees after a group of former society residents and builders filed a petition. The government withdrew the committees and directed the inquiries to be submitted to the high power panel headed by housing secretary Gautam Chatterjee.