Viju B, TNN, Nov 19, 2010,
MUMBAI: While TOI reported on Thursday that at least 18 IPS officers with flats in a Juhu society were living against the rules in government quarters elsewhere in Mumbai, RTI data shows that at least eight of these officers rented out the Juhu premises for huge sums of money soon after taking possession.
The plot on which Vasundhara Cooperative Housing Society stands was originally meant for police quarters. It was given at a concession of Rs 77 lakh in 2003 to around 30 IPS officers to build a private society, provided they moved out of government accommodation and lived at Vasundhara while in Mumbai.
Though Vasundhara's Occupation Certificate came in April 2007, RTI replies from December 2007 show that at least eight IPS officers rented out their flats for sums ranging from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3.3 lakh a month even as they continued to live in government accommodation in Mumbai. TOI earlier reported that RTI data showed they were living in government quarters till at least March 2010. IPS officers Sadandand Date and Bipin Bihari rented out their residential units for Rs 3.3 lakh and Rs 3.1 lakh a month, respectively.
Another society member, labour secretary Kavita Gupta – the property was only meant for IPS officers – also rented out her flat for Rs 2.75 lakh a month. Most of the parties paying rent for the flats in the posh Juhu locality are companies (see table).
The most lucrative agreement was apparently bagged by the wives of two IPS officers who are directors of a company, Shreyas Home Management Pvt Ltd. Shreyas was given commercial space on the ground floor and basement and is being currently rented out for Rs 21.43 lakh a month. For the first three years of its lease, from July 24, 2006 to July 23, 2009, it was rented out for Rs 18.63 lakh a month.
A police officer who refused a flat in Vasundhara revealed that he was offered one of the 2,500-square-foot units for around Rs 25 lakh. At such a buying rate, the officers owning units in Vasundhara today are making huge profits , said Yogacharya Anandji, whose clutch of RTI queries revealed the data. The data on rentals was obtained from the stamp duty registration department . The flats are today worth around Rs 6 crore.
"The condition that Mumbai-based police must stay in Vasundhara was given in view of the fact that there is a huge shortage of police housing in Mumbai. Around half the force has to rent," said a senior police official. "These officers should have stayed in these apartments and not used these flats for commercial purposes,'' said former police chief Julio Ribeiro.
"The IPS officers have made huge profits at the cost of poor policemen who are forced to even stay in slum areas as there is a huge shortage of government housing in Mumbai,'' said IPS officerturned-lawyer Y P Singh.
The nine-storey twin tower has all modern amenities.
A PIL filed by Anandji which challenged the land allotment came up for hearing on Thursday in the Bombay High court. The case has been adjourned till December 3.
Meanwhile, IPS officer Gulabrao D Pol, who was mentioned in Thursday's report as holding a flat in Vasundhara while living in government quarters at Byculla, has clarified that he was offered a flat in the society, but refused to take it.
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