Building on his expertise

At 70, Maneck Engineer works a full day at Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited in Vikhroli where he is senior vice president of the construction division, handling a 1,000 crore budget. In the evening he goes campaigning from door to door seeking a second term as trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP).

As the turnout at electoral meetings is not as large as last year due to voter fatigue, the ringing of door bells has become a necessity. "This time we are covering each and every baug, even the small colonies,” says the qualified civil engineer. For the rest of the electorate, his message will be conveyed "through the Press and handbills.” The three questions he is most asked pertain to the religion, redevelopment and his resignation from the BPP trusteeship in mid-2006.

On religious issues Engineer believes the needs of all sections of the community are to be kept in mind. "We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.” At Doongerwadi, he says the solar panels’ "working is excellent.” Water resistant motors have been placed in position to avoid problems during the monsoons. A corpse normally takes five to six days to dehydrate but during the monsoons the period is 15 to 16 days. If four more solar panels are installed bringing the total to 16, it would be "more than sufficient.” He is a trustee of the Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej Foundation, Bombay, Cawasjee Banaji Atash Behram at Charni Road, Mewawalla Agiary, Byculla and B. C. Batliwalla Agiary at Tardeo.

Maneck Engineer: utilize spare FSI

Regarding his resignation he recalls that three of the six trustees decided to resign over the allotment of two flats at Godrej Baug to the daughter of lawyer Bucky Bhesania at the behest of BPP trustee Dinshaw Mehta. "The entire housing subcommittee asked us why we allotted the flats. We had a meeting at Burjor Antia’s office to sort out matters with Dinshaw. We told him you have to resign. He said, ‘I’m not going to resign.’” Instead Dinshaw Tamboly, Antia and Engineer resigned with the intention of seeking a fresh mandate from the community.

The trio had counted on BPP chairman Minoo Shroff remaining in office so as to constitute a quorum of three with Mehta and Dadi Engineer. The three could then manage the BPP affairs and hold fresh elections. "Minoo was uneasy” about staying on, says Engineer. He therefore also submitted his resignation. But as the process of resigning "was not proper” as found by the Bombay High Court, the four continued in office. Shortly thereafter the six trustees agreed on ushering in universal adult franchise for election of trustees. Engineer sought reelection in late 2008 but lost, securing the l0th place with 4,224 votes in a field of 32 candidates.

But like Mehta, Engineer’s forte has been housing (which may be one reason why Mehta and he clash). He is familiar with all the housing colonies and their problems. Responding to Mehta’s allegation that he forsook redevelopment at the Mancherji Joshi Parsi Colony at Dadar despite receiving governmental consent, Engineer argued that under the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) scheme for redevelopment l5 percent of the flats are allotted by MHADA, "These allottees could be non-Parsis. Will they give up their right to stay in Dadar Parsi Colony? How Zarir Bhathena managed to ensure MHADA assigned flats (at his Lalbaug development) were given only to Parsis we do not know. He is a builder. How will we manage when we are a trust?”

Alternatively he opines by utilizing the surplus Floor Space Index (FSI) at Dadar, a tower could be constructed providing 50,000 to 60,000 square feet for residences. No area would have to be surrended to MHADA, he avers.

His scheme envisions building a tower behind an existing structure thereby preserving the heritage characteristics of the Colony and at a distance from the Rustom Faramna Agiary. He pondered why the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) who so vigorously opposed Bhathena’s development of the M. J. Wadia Agiary complex at Lalbaug, kept quiet about Mehta’s plans which would have seen two towers constructed right opposite the fire temple?

For new buildings, Engineer cautions that the municipal taxes will be high, especially where the land is leased from the government as in Dadar. "Today, the outgoing is small. The buildings were assessed 70 years ago. What will be the (new) assessment?” He estimates the monthly outgoings to be between Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 a flat. "If we sell them on ownership are we really catering to the poor and needy?” he queries.

Engineer states the cost of maintaining old buildings is only 10 percent of the price of constructing new ones. "We don’t have the luxury of wasting money” on new construction where the old ones are solid, he says.

But in Nowroz Baug where the condition of some of the structures is bad, reconstruction was essential, he said. Regarding development of the colony at Lalbaug he says the open plot cannot be built upon. Under the Development Plan (DP) it is shown as a "public playground.” For Panthaky Baug he favors the DP road to "be realigned so it does not divide the colony in half.” Having given a commitment to allot space for the road, the BPP cannot go back on its word, he says.

Of the 950 applicants on the BPP waiting list for housing "around 300 are genuine. These are people who will take houses anywhere. Most (other) people want a flat only in South Bombay. Some are already housed or are out of India,” he opines.

He believes the BPP can "very easily build 200 to 300 (more) flats in Panthaky Baug (in Andheri) and an additional 100 at the Nirlon complex (now named Neville Baug) in Goregaon.

"The Bhabha Sanatorium (at Bandra) has 80 vacant flats. We can give them on leave and license. Do up the building and give it to them. The Punchayet believes this may weaken their case (against alleged illegal tenants/occupants.) Legalize them. Put the place to use. There is spare FSI for one more tower,” he says.

With the scrapping of the Urban Land Ceiling act that permitted the government to acquire surplus private lands, it is now possible for the BPP to construct flats larger than 40 sq m, but earlier commitments made to build 40 sq m flats would have to be honored, he noted. In Godrej Baug three buildings are of 40 sq m flats, the rest are 55 to 60 sq m, he observes.

"The Wadia Baugs are well managed” but the others under the BPP need attention. In Gamadia Colony every building needs repairs, he states, water problems, security issues are also there. In Godrej Baug there’s a water problem while in Bharucha Baug the water problem was rectified, he added.

The BPP looks after exterior repairs but leaves the interiors to the tenants. This causes problems, said Engineer. If an interior column or beam needs to be repaired it must be done in a proper manner. Hence it is better if the BPP carries out the repairs and the tenant pays (for the interiors). "There is a systematic way of repairing things.”

Engineer recalls how as a boy he used to walk from his Cusrow Baug residence to St Xavier’s School at Dhobi Talao to save an anna (equivalent to six paisa). "I was brought up at Cusrow Baug. The subsidized rent made” it possible for his parents "to give me the finest education.” Married to Zarin D. Munsiff, of Navsari, they have two married daughters Khushnuma Porus Suntoke and Delnaz Merzin Ghadially, who reside in Australia. He believes young couples starting out in life cannot afford to buy flats on ownership. "We have to cater to their needs.” Engineer recalls how the late Naoroji Godrej favored a scheme whereby a corpus would be created to subsidize the disadvantaged.

Where will the funds come from for new buildings and repairs? "People are donating and will continue to donate if the house is in order.” Among those who believe Engineer is capable of arranging the house so are BPP trustee Arnavaz Mistry who wrote in the Jam-e-Jamshed of March 15, 2009 that she supported him "to be able to hear a voice of reason and experience. A balance needs to be achieved… to take our community forward on the path of resurgence and growth.” Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, eighth baronet, described him as "firm and committed in his resolve and totally competent to tackle the diverse issues facing the BPP.” Erstwhile BPP trustee Dinshaw Tamboly emphasized, "From amongst the four candidates contesting the election Engineer is the only candidate who has experience in management of trust affairs, and equally important, 45 years’ experience in the construction industry… during his entire career Engineer has always executed all projects entrusted to him without having any direct or indirect interest as a builder and/or developer…”

President of The Bombay Incorporated Law Society Dinsoo Zaiwalla wrote, "We require people on the board of Parsi Punchayet adorned with the courage to stand up for what is right without fear or favor.” Ratoo Dastoor, president of the Cusrow Baug League, appealed to "thinking voters (to)…prove once for all that we are not a community of sentimental fools.”

Engineer has been hailed by his supporters as "the thinking voters’ choice.”