Mumbai: Why the BMC Election means little for residents, but a lot for these slum dwellers

Slums the word hutments abound in the area PicsDatta KumbharThe BMC elections will be held across the city today but residents of the only four residential buildings in Reay Roads Daru Khana area have little to cheer or expect as they have been served eviction notices from the Mumbai Port Trust MbPT While slumdwellers living in hutments dotting the area have been promised alternative accommodation the building residents have received no such promisesThis says local Preeti Shenoy pointing to the swathe of slums stretching out from the station is how we have lived for so many years When midday visited the area recently locals from the four residential buildings pointed out to a machine cleaning the filth on the roads in preparation for Union Road Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkaris visit to deliver his prepoll speechNot at the cost of localsEven though they clamoured for answers Gadkari did not answer residents queries about MbPTs eviction notices We received the notices from MbPt nearly six months ago though there was no deadline for the eviction MbPT is going to take over this land to make worldclass hospitals schools entertainment zone in some reports we have read that a Burj Khalifalike structure is being planned Make a Burj Khalifa we will cheer you on but not at the cost of the locals said a resident What hurts the residents the most is that the hutment dwellers have been promised alternative accommodation but there are no assurances for us says Preeti who lives in a building called Makani ChambersIt does not pay to be a legal tax paying resident of the city if you are a slum dweller you are part of the vote bank and you will be looked after says Sunil Sukumaran who has had a tyre shop in the Naznin residential building for over 50 years His brother Anil says they have been paying all their dues but we find ourselves facing possible evictionIn many buildings landlords have been collecting rents and then one fine day these landlords disappear or become inaccessible They do not bother to collect rent for several years or get in touch with tenants One resident explained We had paid rent to the landlady of Makani Chambers Now she has become inaccessible for over two years MbPT that claims they have not received rent needs to zero in on the landlords because we pay them the rent Why should we bear the brunt Local Vimal Upadhyay a digital marketing professional asks Even if we want to sell our homes nobody will buy them because of the Port Trusts messStill a vote bankFor Makani Courts V Suvarna it is straightforward Given our numbers we are just a handful we may not be a vote bank But we vote too Residents say they will be unable to pay rent at current market rates if the BPT insists on that Pointing to the garbage and general decrepitude all around Preeti asks If we had crores why would we live here Wont we live in Worli or Napean Sea RoadThe residents insist they should continue paying rent according to the Rent Act and then have the mandatory 4 per cent increase every year That is a fair way to go about things they claimed Calls to landlords R Makanis telephone numbers elicited a taped message saying incoming service to this number has been temporarily closedFearing the NazirThe tenants fear a Nazir buildinglike situation In a sudden move MbPT had sealed the Nazir building in Ballard Estate in May 2015 locking down commercial offices in the building and throwing occupants out In a report which appeared in this paper one year later the buildings landlords stated that they had surrendered the lease of the building after MbPT terminated the lease under the provisions of the Public Premises Eviction of Unauthorized Occupation Act of 1971Residents sayVimal UpadhayaEver since we received an eviction notice we are living in fear People here cannot afford another home in the city or just get up and leaveSunil and Anil SukumaranSlum dwellers have told us that they are going to be rehabilitated If our livelihood is gone what will we do