Cidco-Hudco: Issue of lease-hold properties once again comes up for discussion, Why?

Aurangabad, Oct 30:

The issue of awarding ownership rights to the lease-hold property holders of Cidco-Hudco have come up for discussion at the odd hour. Generally, when the municipal corporation elections are around the corner, the issue is raised for discussion which ends without any results after elections are over. It has been going on for the past many years.

The elections are yet to be declared, but the Shiv Sena seems to have been eyeing on the civic elections to gain political mileage. The guardian minister Subhash Desai, who was in the city on Thursday, suddenly pronounced that he will discuss Cidco''s lease-hold properties in a meeting scheduled to be held next week with the Urban Development minister Eknath Shinde. However, there was no occasion to say a word on it.

The occupants staying in Cidco-Hudco complained of facing problems due to the absence of ownership rights. They had to take building permission from AMC, pay transfer charges to Cidco office, as well as also have to pay registry charges during the transaction of property etc.

As a representation of 50,000 occupants of Cidco-Hudco sectors, an action committee was formed. Later on, the members, including Kashinath Kokate, pursued the matter in 1988. It was discussed at various levels but was in vain.

Two years ago, the occupants welcomed the announcement of cancelling the lease-hold properties. They dreamt of becoming owners. The Cidco-Hudco occupants distributed sweets and burst firecrackers. The occupants also claimed that they had repaid all the instalments against the loans upon their properties. Now, they are waiting to become owners of the properties.

Another core issue of Cidco-Hudco sectors is water supply. The water supply scheme was handed over by Cidco to AMC, 14 years ago. The occupants underlined that instead of getting water regularly, the residents are getting water on the gap of 5-6days, but the supply is of adequate quantity and with low pressure.