Mhada lottery reserves low-income group flats for MPs, MLAs

STRAP: Apart from 75 flats in LIG and EWS, 3 each in MIG and HIG category also reserved

Mumbai: Of the 4,083 flats available in the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) lottery, 75 flats meant for the economically weaker section (EWS) and low-income group (LIG) and three each in the middle-income group (MIG) and high-income group (HIG) category are reserved for MPs and MLAs. Despite the income of MPs and MLAs being far more than the eligible income slab for the EWS and LIG categories, MHADA claims it is forced to keep this reservation going on account of old rules.

Of MHADA’s 4,083 houses in various parts of Mumbai, 2,790 houses are meant for EWS, which includes 1,947 flats under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana. The LIG flats total 1,034 while 139 houses are meant for MIG and 120 for HIG. The provision for sitting and former MPs, MLAs and MLCs is among the various other reservations in the MHADA lottery like SC, ST and artistes. Of the three flats in the HIG category, one flat is in Crescent Tower at Tardeo, which has a carpet area of 1,531 square feet and is priced at ₹7,57,94,268, the highest in this lottery.

MHADA’s income criterion for EWS is up to ₹6 lakh per annum, for LIG up to 9 lakh per annum, for MIG up to ₹12 lakh per annum and for HIG over ₹12 lakh per annum. The monthly salary of MLAs and MLCs in Maharashtra is about ₹1,60,000 per month. MPs make ₹1 lakh per month, which goes up to ₹2 lakh with allowances. Thus it is very clear that MPs and MLAs are not eligible for flats in the EWS and LIG categories. Even former MLAs get a pension of ₹50,000 per month and ₹10,000 more for every extra term.

When Hindustan Times contacted MHADA to know the reason behind the irrational reservation for MPs and MLAs in the EWS and LIG categories, Vaishali Gadpale, chief public relations officer, said that it was mandatory for MHADA to have reservations for MPs and MLAs as per rules framed in 1981. “MHADA does not have the right to change this,” she said. “However, given the salaries of MPs and MLAs, which are way above MHADA’s income classification, a committee was set up to look into it and recommended that the EWS category reservation for MPs and MLAs be removed. MHADA has accepted this but the final decision it will be taken by the state government.” Gadpale added that if there were no applications from MPs and MLAs in the lottery, all the flats would be made available to those in the general category.

For graphic

Lottery for politicians

MHADA lottery total flats - 4083

Flats reserved for MPs, MLAs - 81

In EWS - 55 flats

In LIG - 20 flats

In MIG - 3 flats

In HIG - 3 flats

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Income criterion for EWS - up to ₹6 lakh per annum

Income criterion for LIG - up to ₹9 lakh per annum

Income criterion for MIG - up to ₹12 lakh per annum

Income criterion for HIG - over ₹12 lakh per annum

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Salary of MLAs- About ₹1, 60,000 per month

Salary of MPs - About ₹2 lakh per month inclusive of allowances