Mill worker families ecstatic after winning affordable homes

Participants of the Mhada lottery for mill workers try to read the results of the lottery at Rangsharda auditorium, Bandra on Monday. (Photo: Shripad Naik)

It was a dream come true for the families of mill workers who after a long wait won 2,634 affordable homes in the lottery conducted by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) on Monday.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who declared the results at the event, said his government would ensure that every single mill worker gets his house. “Our government is committed and working to give houses to mill workers,” said Mr Fadnavis.

Twenty-two-year-old Maruti Kokitkar, who works at a security agency, said it was because of his father, who was a mill worker, that they had won the house. “Throughout his entire life he was waiting for the day mill workers would get their homes. Unfortunately today he is not among us. For now, the only worry is for me to pay the Mhada Rs 9.25 lakh for which I will have to take a loan. I plan to shift into the 225-square-foot house after getting married, as there is space crunch in the chawl we are currently residing.”

The Mhada constructed around 2,634 homes for mill workers on the land which was made available to it by the state government on the mill land in Lower Parel, Worli, Dadar and Sewri.

Another winner, Eknath Nimbalkar, said, “I am happy that after a long struggle today after the last lottery for mill workers in 2012 we are finally seeing a day where we are being allotted homes. It was the last thing of giving the flat to my children before I die. But the process is very slow and the state government should avoid coming out with such announcements when civic polls are near.”

Speaking further, Mr Fadnavis, said, “This was just the first phase and in the second phase Mhada will hold a lottery for 2,418 homes constructed by MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) in Panvel, Kalyan, Vasai and Virar for the mill workers. and we will simultaneously allot more homes via the lottery in phases.