Maharashtra stays recovery of arrears from MHADA colonies for a month

The Maharashtra government, on March 7, 2018, stayed for a month the recovery of arrears from the tenants of MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority) colonies in the city. The state’s housing minister Prakash Mehta made the announcement in the legislative council, while responding to a calling attention motion moved by BJP MLC Bhai Girkar. The minister also said that a committee will be formed, to study whether collecting these arrears was justifiable or not. Girkar said MHADA has issued notices to 56 MHADA layouts in the city and asked each tenant to pay at least Rs 40,000 as arrears of water charges, assessment tax, electricity charges and non-agricultural tax from 1998, as they have been revised in 2017. The legislator demanded that the government should either waive the arrears or extend the period for the payment. Mehta, while replying to the calling attention motion, announced a stay on the recovery of arrears for a month. “The state government will form a committee to study the issue and decide whether collecting arrears is justifiable or not,” Mehta said. “The committee will be formed in the next 15 days and the report will be submitted in a month’s time,” said Mehta, adding that MHADA will not recover the arrears till the report on this issue is submitted.