About 300 Wadala families to get transit rents after two years

Almost 300 families waiting for half a decade for a large redevelopment project to take off, on a prime eight-and-a-half acre Wadala plot, will start getting transit rents again after almost two years, but through bank fund transfers and not cheques that can bounce, Bombay high court directed on Wednesday. Also, if there are any two defaults by the builder, East & West Developer, in making payment, all agreements with the developer will be automatically terminated, the court ordered. Justice Gautam Patel had on Wednesday sought the presence of the builder, Anubhav Agarwal, principal partner of East & West, in court after tenants alleged he was in contempt of court, over defaults in transit rents despite earlier orders and assurances. The tenants demanded the developer’s imprisonment. Agarwal, through his counsel CheragBalsara, offered to pay arrears two months at a time, each month from April. The judge said the payment of Rs 40,000 pm must be not later than the 10th of every month. The builder agreed that “future payments will be by direct transfer, by NEFT” to tenants. Balsara also agreed that a default provision must be made.