Mumbai Housing Society Members Unite In Protest Against Corruption; Demand Accountability From Registrar's Office

When a loosely connected group of aggrieved citizens are forced to come together and become activists, the fight only gets interesting. This is exactly what angry members of 40 to 50 co-operative housing societies scattered across Mumbai will be doing tomorrow at 10.30 a.m. at the Azad Maidan.

'The officers are so corrupt that it's unimaginable'

Unable to tolerate the ‘rampant corruption’, ‘malpractices’ and ‘inaction’ in the office of the registrar of co-operative housing societies and his departments, they will be collectively taking out a protest march to make themselves heard and demand accountability. “We are fed up of the manner in which this department works in blatant violation of all laws of co-operative housing societies. The officers are so corrupt that it’s unimaginable” says, Reshma Chakravorty, member of the Raj Shivam Co-operative Housing Society, Dahisar who has individually been fighting for four years just to get a fair hearing from the registrar.

'They get paid for stalling our complaints'

Like her, there are several other members from different housing societies scattered across Mumbai from Borivali to Goregaon to Dadar who having been knocking on all doors, including the registrar, the commissioner for cooperation and even co-operation minister Dilip Walse Patil himself. “Most of these officers and quasi judicial bodies are corrupt and hand-in-glove with the managing committees of the housing societies. They get paid for stalling our complaints instead of initiating action”, says Hamid Haju, member of a cooperative housing society in Goregaon, who has been fighting a lone battle for three years. So much so that “we are often told off…Jao Jis ke paas jana hai…Aap ka koi nahin sunega…kuch nahin hoga (Complaint to whoever you want. No one will pay attention. Nothing will happen),” he adds.

But for once these citizens have now found a platform to air their ire. Never mind that the platform is loosely woven. “At least its a beginning and will galvanise more like us to come forward and get into fighting mode”, he says.

'Modus operandi is the same'

Chakravorty adds that the rule book- Maharashtra Housing Societies Act 1960 is very clear that action must be initiated within a stipulated time frame. “Unfortunately they don’t even follow one per cent of law. The Registrar’s office is functioning in an arbitrary manner. The modus operandi is the same - ‘no action' or ‘paralysed action’. So much so that we citizens eventually have to approach the higher courts for justice”, she maintains.

Some of these citizens had recently even met Minister Dilip Walse Patil only to be given an assurance that he would soon look into their problems. “Obviously that was an eyewash. When we tried following up with him but we were not given any appointment by his personal assistant”, says Shashi Shetty, a resident of Goregaon.

But for now the group has extended an open invitation to all citizens of Mumbai who have been affected in a similar manner and want accountability from the office of the Registrar to come forward and participate. A petition of aggrieved citizens will be submitted to the Minister after the march, Shetty told the FPJ on Monday.