Former mill workers in Panvel protest Mhada’s steep maintenance fees and poor upkeep

MUMBAI: Families of former mill workers, who were allotted homes in Kon village, Panvel, have accused the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) of neglect and imposing exorbitant maintenance charges despite failing to ensure proper upkeep of the buildings. The residents claim they are being charged ₹4,500 per month while facing severe infrastructural issues.

The state government had promised subsidised housing for former mill workers and their families. However, out of an estimated 1.5 lakh eligible workers, only about 15,000 have received their promised dwellings. Many who secured homes say they were pushed out of Mumbai’s limits into an isolated area and have faced multiple challenges since.

Ganesh Supekar, chairman of Kon Panvel Girni Kamgar Sankool Ekta Samiti, stated, “The government moved us outside Mumbai and, in 2016, began constructing two 160-square-foot homes per beneficiary at a cost of ₹6 lakh. The allotment process started in 2020, just as the Covid-19 pandemic hit India, though the homes were meant to be handed over much earlier.”

Several allottees had completed the documentation between 2017 and 2018 and made payments in 2019, often by taking loans or selling assets. However, during the pandemic, the buildings were repurposed as isolation wards, leading to severe damage. Even after the lockdown, the structures remained unused for nearly two years, exacerbating issues related to water connections, electricity supply, and general maintenance.

In an effort to address these damages, Mhada issued a ₹52 crore repair tender. Eventually, in February 2023, residents were asked to take possession of their homes.

Steep maintenance fees amid neglect

Despite the delay in handover, requests for a three-year waiver of maintenance fees—made through former BJP MLA Sunil Rane—were rejected. Mhada initially demanded an advance annual maintenance fee of ₹42,000 ( ₹3,500 per month), later increasing it to ₹4,500 per month for 2025 and 2026. Residents argue that this amount is unreasonably high given the deteriorating condition of the buildings.

While Mhada eventually granted a waiver for those who had paid maintenance fees between 2019 and December 2023, the adjustment was only applied against fees for a single year (April 2024 to March 2025). Association secretary Sanjay Mirgal said, “Those who took possession now regret it. The buildings are in an uninhabitable state, and our repeated complaints to Mhada have been ignored.”

Residents describe a dire situation, citing exposed high-voltage cables, broken sewage lines, overflowing bathrooms, a dysfunctional fire-fighting system, broken main doors, elevator floors with holes, seepage-ridden walls, structural cracks, neglected open spaces, and damaged children’s play equipment.

Protest planned for March 5

In order to push their demands, the residents plan to stage a protest on March 5. They are demanding an additional two-year waiver for those who paid maintenance before December 2023, as well as a reduction in the monthly maintenance fee to ₹1,500 instead of the current ₹4,640. Additionally, they are insisting that Mhada conduct comprehensive repairs to bring the homes up to a livable standard.

When contacted, Mhada’s Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, Sanjeev Jaiswal, responded, “We will examine the issue and see what best can be done.”