Mhada's software sees one winner bag two of its costliest flats ever

The recurring phenomenon of repeat winners in the state housing board lottery has persisted over the past eight years. On Sunday, a Shiv Sena leader reportedly from central Mumbai, Vinod Shirke, won two cream of the crop apartments in the Mhada lottery, one costing Rs 4.99 crore, the other the most expensive flat in Mhada's history at Rs 5.8 crore. He will have to relinquish one. This is a lucky strike rate given that approximately 80 applicants were in the fray for these two houses. The board had received a total of 1.64 lakh applications for 1,384 flats. Another bidder Akhtar said Mohammed won the middle apartment worth Rs 5.13 crore. All three houses are located in Dhavalgiri building near August Kranti Maidan. However, Dhavalgiri's managing committee has disputed Mhada's ownership in a petition filed in the Bombay high court. It has also claimed unpaid dues since 2013 and threatened to not transfer the flats to the lottery winners. Mhada chief Milind Mhaiskar said, "Their grouse is maintenance dues which we will settle. It does not mean we do not own the flats." Speaking about Shirke's multiple wins, Mhaiskar said, "An individual winner gets only one flat so Shirke will have to relinquish the other. People are allowed to put in as many applications as they like in different categories just like students apply to various medical colleges to increase their chances of winning." A Mhada PRO said, "As per the I-T Act, a family is classified as a unit of husband, wife and minor children. So between them, they can only keep one flat in the lottery. However, adult children or majors, may retain their new homes if they win separately from their parents." So Ramiz Tadvi's family won three flats. Ramiz, who works with the Container Corporation of India, hit the jackpot in Antop Hill while his father and mother individually won in Kandivli Mahavir Nagar. The parents are permitted one flat between them while Ramiz gets one house. "I live in Titwala so commuting to work at CSMT is a trial. I am so happy my travel hours will be reduced," he said. "We put in as many as nine applications after we saw last year's winner say he had filled multiple forms to increase his chances of winning. And that strategy has worked for us also." Among other winners was Mhada worker Samar Pakhare, state government employee Trupti Kharat and another woman Prajakta Khadye. There is a quota allocated to Mhada and state government employees among other categories including journalists. The other EWG, LIG, MIG and HIG flats costing upwards of Rs 15 lakh are located in Goregaon, Mahim, Mulund, Antop Hill, Vikhroli, Kandivli, Chandivli and Sion.