How poor is “poor”?

When Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) advocate Percy Gandhi was asked by Bombay High Court (BHC) judges P. B. Majumdar and Ramesh Dhanuka who the BPP would define as poor, they were told "a person earning income below Rs 50,000 a month is regarded as poor,” reported The Times of India (TOI) on March 3, 2012.

The BHC was hearing a petition filed by Tarapur resident Rohinton Tarapore­wala against BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta and other trustees for failing to allot him a flat in Andheri’s B. S. Panthaky Baug. The 60-something claimed that he is "poor and eligible,” that he and his wife are unwell and need to live in Bombay to be able to avail of proper medical care, and that the BPP has allotted flats to people who are "richer” than he is.

When the matter came up for hearing on March 2, 2012 Taraporewala’s lawyer reportedly was not present. Gandhi said that a copy of the petition had not been served to his clients. He also told the BHC that Taraporewala "is not poor and has moved court because he was not allotted a flat at Panthaky Baug. He is very rich and has acres and acres of land. These flats are for the poor and needy.”

The BHC had, on October 15, 2009 permitted the BPP to sell 104 flats at Panthaky Baug at rates approved by the Charity Commissioner to cross-subsidize flats for needy Parsis, TOI recalled. An additional 300 flats are to be constructed and allotted as per the merit rating scheme. The judges directed that a copy of the petition be given to the BPP and adjourned the matter for a fortnight, as per the TOI report.