Built in upmarket Koregaon Park for civic officials who did not own a home in the city, Rahul Cooperative Housing Society now has 70 per cent of its flats sub-let to foreigners, Oshoites, students
Built in upmarket Koregaon Park for civic officials who did not own a home in the city, Rahul Cooperative Housing Society now has 70 per cent of its flats sub-let to foreigners, Oshoites, students
It came up in posh Koregaon Park as a housing society meant exclusively for officials of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), but most of Rahul Cooperative Housing Society, also called Rahul Terrace, has become a hot residential address for people who have nothing to do with the civic body, from foreigners and Osho Commune regulars to students and NGO workers.
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| Who really lives here? Foreigners in Rahul Cooperative Housing Society. It is learnt that of the 156 flats in the society, only about 50 are occupied by PMC employees. Pic/Vivek Sabnis |
Over 70 per cent of PMC officials allotted flats in Rahul illegally sub-let the premises to tenants and this way make between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 per month.
Santosh, a student living in the society who gave only his first name, denied there was anything illegal in his occupying a flat in Rahul.
"We get flats via a mediator named Ram. Nothing is illegal. The monthly rent for a flat is Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000," he said. "If someone wants to stay for a day, he will have to pay Rs 900."
But even the board at the society says students are not allowed to use any of the flats on rental basis.
"Yes, it is true that of the 156 flats in the nine buildings of Rahul society, only 45 to 50 are occupied by PMC employees. The other flats have people living there who pay rent," said Bangarappa, a security official at the society. "People like working professionals, students, foreigners and even Osho disciples stay here regularly."
He added that many flats in the society at 302, Koregaon Park, had remained locked for years.
The plot for Rahul society was allotted by the state government for poor and needy PMC employees. The condition for the beneficiaries was that they should not own housing property in the city.
Now, after getting possession of the flats, many have sub-let these to tenants. MiD DAY even found a nursery school running in the society.
When MiD DAY visited the society, the letterboxes bore the names of tenants. In buildings J, H and G, the names of original flat owners and tenants could both be seen.
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At a flat in the name of Gaikar (J-9), a letter to Prem Randhir was found. The name was also on the flat door.
At a flat in the name of S E Desai (H-1), letters were found addressed to Rosemarie Fremerey, and at Anand Barge's flat (J-14) there were letters for Mangesh Vinchurkar. At S C Shinde's flat (H- 4) letters were addressed to S M Menderkar, at N B Pingale's flat (G-1) the letters were for Amol Tapdia, and at K K Ghag's flat (G-10), for Mayank Painuly.
Pravin Baravkar, an employee of the PMC Security Department, had filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court alleging that 70 per cent of PMC officials gave wrong and misleading information to grab flats in the society. He had also named 12 PMC officials, including S G Navale, R T Shelkande, Yashwant Khaire, Kusum Phule, Prakash Sawant, Bharati Mergu, Nandakumar Karale, Bhagyashree Karkande, Bhima Gorade, Dilip Kalbhor and Vilas Raskar.
