Government to take 175 flats on rent in South Mumbai for MLAs, MLCs after ceiling collapse incident
The state government is looking at renting flats measuring 450 to 500 sq ft with modern amenities like lift, parking etc (Main Image Representational. Inset: The collapsed ceiling of the flat at MLA hostel)
A day after the ceiling of a flat at the MLA hostel in Nariman Point collapsed, the Maharashtra Government has sought to rent out 175 flats in south and central Mumbai to provide accommodation to members of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council.
Anant Kalse, Principal Secretary of Maharashtra Legislature, said the requirement was for fully-furnished flats measuring 450 to 500 sq ft with modern amenities like lift, parking among others.
The government is looking at renting the flats, primarily in areas like Nariman Point, Walkeshwar, Malabar Hill, Cuffe Parade and Dadar, for a period of two to three years.
The Legislature Secretariat issued a newspaper advertisement for the flats on Tuesday, a day after flat 125 of the MLA hostel, Manora, was damaged when its ceiling partially collapsed.
The flat had been allotted to Satish Patil, NCP MLA from Erandol in north Maharashtra. He wasn’t in the flat when the ceiling collapsed.
Replying to questions about the incident during the ongoing monsoon session, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated in the Assembly yesterday that Manora was poorly constructed and needed to be rebuilt.
Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil (Congress) and NCP leader Ajit Pawar questioned the sub-standard construction.
“It is dangerous to live in such a building. I appeal to the State government to provide an allowance of at least Rs one lakh per month to help the occupants find new places on rent in south Mumbai till the new accommodation is found,” Pawar said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Girish Bapat said 158 MLAs are living in the Manora MLA hostel at present.
