October 13, 2025: Residents of the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) colony in Borivali West are calling for the redevelopment of their decades-old homes, citing rising maintenance costs and worsening structural conditions. Built over 50 years ago on a sprawling 75-acre plot, the township comprises 46 ground-plus-three-storey buildings housing 1,535 flats. The residents, who purchased their homes through LIC policies, live on a 90-year lease—half of which has already elapsed—raising concerns about the colony’s future.
“When we bought the house, there was no one around here. The basic criteria to buy were to be an eligible LIC policyholder. We paid the cost of the house via the premium,” said Badal Agarwal, Secretary of the Jeeva Bhima Nagar Residents Association (JBNRA). “Now that the building structures are old, so are the residents who bought the house 50 years ago, and the basic problem for all the house owners is the inability to climb four flights of stairs,” he added.
Since the flats remain under LIC’s ownership, maintenance challenges have intensified. “The landowners cannot look into the day-to-day matters, and it is beyond the jurisdiction of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), so we cannot approach either of them. It is similar for the water pipeline issues,” said Shyam Nair, Chairman of JBNRA.
Each building’s co-operative society manages repair expenses, but the costs have soared after structural audits revealed significant damage. “We undertook a structural audit, and it showed that there are leakages and cracks in the building, so there is an urgent need to take action,” Agarwal noted.
Residents also fear encroachments on open spaces originally reserved for recreational facilities. “While the 46 buildings with homes are scattered on the plot, some parts of it, reserved for playgrounds and other recreational facilities, lie vacant and vulnerable to encroachments,” Nair added.
Source: Hindustan Times
