Building castles in the air?

After much hush-hush two of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustees have spoken on their ambitious plans to construct over 3,000 additional flats in Bombay. "In an exclusive briefing” with The Times of India correspondent Nauzer Bharucha, BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta spoke of "a Rs 450 crore project that envisages the construction of 3,215 new flats after demolishing 958 existing ones. We hope to provide a minimum 650 sq ft carpet area in each flat under this project.”

"We have sought the assistance of the best brains in the community,” stated BPP and World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) trustee Khojeste Mistree. Among those the BPP has turned to are industrialists Ratan Tata and Nusli Wadia, states Bharucha. But interestingly neither Tata nor Wadia attended the meet called by the BPP on June 16 at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel to discuss the issue (see "Command and control,” Parsiana, July 7, 2009).

According to the report the BPP proposes to demolish all the 358 flats at Nowroz Baug and construct 1,008 new ones. "Asked if he anticipated resistance from the existing tenants, Mehta said 80 percent were in favor of the redevelopment. ‘However, there is opposition from some,’ he admitted,” stated the write-up. The reports states 1,200 applicants are on the BPP’s housing waiting list.

Developer Zarir Bhathena, one of the invitees at the meet said "one has still to study the financial and legal implications of the plan,” while architect Hafeez Contractor said he hoped "time is not wasted on frivolous litigation,” noted the report.

"Is the BPP legally permitted to redevelop these properties?” queried Alert Zoroastrians Association (AZA) founder Kersi Randeria whose group initiated legal proceedings against the BPP in regard to allocation of flats. According to the report, Randeria also cautioned against "any hasty decisions.”