Citizens join hands against ‘bully’ builders

[karira]

As reported by Linah Baliga in dnaindia.com on 1 August 2008:
DNA - Mumbai - Citizens join hands against ‘bully’ builders - Daily News & Analysis

Citizens join hands against ‘bully’ builders

Citizens from all over Mumbai gathered on Thursday at Mount Carmel’s Church in Bandra Reclamation to form their own vigil force against the arm-twisting and corrupt methods used by builders in redevelopment schemes. Vanessa D’Souza, a victim of such tactics, pleaded her case in front of the 600 people assembled there.D’Souza received death threats from a builder on Wednesday for asking information under RTI on a redevelopment scheme for Boon Building in Khar (W), where she has her office. The irony was that she was threatened at the H (W) ward office when she was called to inspect the documents.

“The BMC’s sub-engineer had also called the builder at the same time. The builder threatened to kill me. I found various irregularities, where the builder had forged my signature to show my consent for the scheme,” said D’Souza. She found that the bond signed in 2005 by the managing committee was fraudulently used on 2008 stamp paper, and that there were two contradicting agreements made by the builder.

The vigil force was formed in the wake of recent controversies, wherein housing societies were feeling unsafe from developers. “There seems to be a concentrated effort in displacing people. There is a nexus between politicians, the underworld and the builders,” said Chandrashekhar Prabhu, a housing activist. Prabhu also alleged that there was rampant corruption in the registrar’s office.

The forum was formed by the H (W) Federation, the Bombay Catholic Sabha and Carmel Civic and Political Cell. Local corporator Raja Rehbar Khan was booed by the residents and was not allowed to speak at the forum.

“We cannot have separate rules for corporators and citizens. This platform is for victims of bullying by builders,” said Shyama Kulkarni, president, H (W) Federation.

[jps50]

Let law abiding citizen unite. I quote:

“The real swaraj will come not by the acquisition of authority by a few, but by the acquisition of capacity by all to resist authority when abused.” Mahatma Gandhi.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing." --- Edmund Burke