Citizens of fifty housing societies protest against corruption in the cooperative department of Azad Maidan

Citizens of 50 different housing societies will register their protest against corruption and malpractices at the registration offices of the Cooperative Department on Tuesday.

The citizen protest is against the alleged civil servant mafia that violates legal provisions, exploiting innocent citizens and protecting the suspects from punishment. In November 2023, citizens from different societies registered their protest against malpractices in the functioning registration offices of the cooperative department but claim that after the protest, things have deteriorated and the registrars have become more fearless and have shown courage to challenge the legal guidelines to ignore.

Fight Against Cooperative Corruption (FACC), a group of such citizens who have been fighting to get justice from the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority, Cooperative Societies and Slum Rehabilitation Authority, will join a protest at Azad Maidan on Tuesday. People from across the city who have faced injustice from the Cooperative Registrar, MHADA officers, SRA officers, BMC officers, police and judicial officers will come together to collectively express their outrage.

Citizens who have suffered financial, physical and emotional pain due to the unethical work practices of public officials, who violate the provisions of the law, delay legitimate action, deprive citizens of legitimate information and disobey the law, will register their protest at the mass meeting from 10.30 am. hours to 5 p.m. Reshma Chakraborty, coordinator of FACC, said: “Things have certainly changed after our protest last year, but only for the worse. It seems that the allied officers of BMC, MHADA, police and all government agencies are working closely together. We are not demanding anything special, but only if these officers start following the rule of law, about 80% of the cases will be solved.”

After the Free Press Journal highlighted the plight of these ordinary citizens who protested against the registration office in Azad Maidan in November last year, Prime Minister Eknath Shinde took note of the citizens’ misery and had under his political party banner a special housing cell appointed to solve the problems of the people. problems, by appointing Hemant Khandekar as the chief coordinator of this special cell.

Khandekar coordinated with FACC to make a promising statement to bring positive change in the system, but citizens have not seen any positive outcome. The citizens alleged that he had written to the CM about non-introduction of reforms in the cooperative departments, but no action has been taken against the defaulting registrars. Contrary to hopes, citizens claim that officials have become more cruel and fearless and have exploited the provisions of the law to protect the accused from punishment.

Ajay Gupta, a resident of Ekatmata Nagar Mahapalika Laghu Vetan Karmachari Gruha Nirman Ltd. in JB Nagar, Chakala, said, “The flat for which I paid money and am living in has not been transferred in my name for the last 18 years. The Deputy Registrar issued two notices to the association, but the board took no action to resolve my dispute. They even reported the former owner of the flat as deceased while she was still alive.”

Jeetendra Narvekar, a resident of Pantnagar Sangam in Ghatkopar (E), said, “Siddhivinayak Developers demolished our building for redevelopment and after that the work was stopped. Only the ground floor has been built for three years. We do not get any housing allowance and MHADA does not take any action against the builder. It even helped the builder convert the building from residential to commercial.”