The Mumbai Board of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) is considering cancelling the allotments of 1,051 flats at Kon in Panvel after the selected mill worker-heirs failed to complete the formalities required to take possession. The vacant homes may subsequently be offered to eligible applicants on the waiting list.
The flats were allotted through a lottery conducted by MHADA’s Mumbai Board in 2016 for 2,417 homes under a rental housing project developed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) at Kon, Panvel. The possession process for successful applicants commenced in 2024.
So far, 1,251 beneficiaries have received their homes, while the handover process for approximately 80 additional applicants is currently underway. However, 1,086 lottery winners had not completed the necessary procedures, citing reasons such as pending documentation, non-payment of the required housing amount or failure to initiate possession formalities despite submitting their papers.
According to the report, around 500 to 600 of these beneficiaries had not even submitted the mandatory documents.
The Mumbai Board had provided several opportunities over the past 12 to 18 months for the selected applicants to complete the process. As a final reminder, it published the names of 1,086 pending beneficiaries on October 21 and invited them to submit possession applications between October 26 and November 3.
The notice clearly stated that failure to respond within the stipulated period would be treated as unwillingness to accept the allotted property, resulting in cancellation of the allotment and transfer of the flats to waiting-list candidates.
However, only 35 applicants submitted their applications by the November 3 deadline. The remaining 1,051 beneficiaries failed to respond, according to Mumbai Board officials.
With several homes remaining unoccupied while eligible applicants continue to await housing, the board is expected to take a decision on the proposed cancellations shortly. Mumbai Board Chief Officer Milind Borikar had directed that the final opportunity be extended to the pending beneficiaries.
The development is significant for mill workers, as the state government has reserved 50% of homes in MMRDA rental housing projects for this category.
Source: Urban Acres
