Wadettiwar expresses suspicion over Shinde government’s deal with developer
Mumbai: Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar on Monday alleged that the state government has agreed to pay Rs 400 crore to a real estate firm despite the objection raised by the state’s housing department. The Congress leader claimed that the state government has already paid Rs 127 crore to Chadha Developers and Promoters contracted under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana even though it is yet to hand over a single home to the scheme beneficiaries.
“The state government’s housing department has opposed this decision, which makes the whole deal suspicious. Today, I spoke with the CEO of MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority), who informed me Chadha builder is set to receive Rs 50 crore at each stage of the project,” Wadettiwar said.
The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) had entered into a memorandum of understanding with realty developer Chadha Developers and Promoters in 2021 to develop an integrated residential project spread over 80 acres near Mumbai under public private partnership.
Questioning the credibility of the firm and political connections of its promoter, Mr Wadettiwar said, “Chadha was with Shiromani Akali Dal and later briefly with AAP in Delhi. He has also been a BJP corporator in the New Delhi Municipal Corporation. He was in CBI custody for 15 days due to serious charges of cheating people in Delhi. The Union government has also taken action against him.”
The Congress leader further alleged the firm was not eligible to bid for works under the PMAY and raised questions on how he may have got selected. “What is the guarantee he will not run away abroad with the Rs 400 crore. Students linked to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI) have not yet received their scholarship funds but the Maharashtra government has money to fund such builders with suspicious backgrounds,” he said.
Last year, taking a suo moto congisance, the MaharRERA had imposed Rs one lakh penalty on Chadha Developers and Promoters for issuing advertisements in English and Marathi newspapers regarding the project without incorporating the Quick Response (QR) Code of the project. The QR code provides prospective buyers direct insights into vital RERA project details, from construction progress to completion timelines and more. It is mandatory for all housing advertisements to publish their project QR code for transparency.