Sanjaynagar on boil over rent denial

VADODARA: The simmering anger among families over denial of rent after being ousted from Sanjaynagar slum in Warasiya brimmed over with a mob targeting the office of the developer who has taken up the slum rehabilitation project at the site. The mob vandalised the office and pelted stones on it on Monday afternoon.
The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has taken up the rehabilitation project at the site under the Pradhan Mantri Aavas Yojana (PMAY) as a public-private partnership project. The civic body razed 1,841 dwellings at the site in June this year. The families staying at the site were to be given rent at a rate of Rs 2,000 per family every month.

But the developer stopped the rent last month and had shot a letter to the VMC before doing so stating that the civic body had not been able to clear several issues regarding the project. The developer could not kick off work at the site due to these pending issues, the letter stated.

Residents of the slums had gone to the VMC headquarters last week and demanded rent. While the VMC assured the group that the rents will be released soon, this did not happen. The deadline set by the representatives of residents for the release of rent expired on Monday morning and the residents had gathered at Sanjaynagar where the developers – Naryan Realty, Sai Ruchi and DMC Infra – have set up a site office.

Tempers ran high and some persons from the mob started pelting stones on the office of the developer. A posse of policemen rushed to the spot, but even they were targeted by the mob. The mob resorted to vandalising the office and a car parked at the site office. A photojournalist who had gone to capture the ruckus also suffered injuries in the stone pelting.

As the situation went out of control, the police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the mob. The agitators then gathered outside Warasia police station to protest against the police action and demanding action against the builder.

It was only by late evening, when the cops promised them that they will take some action, the crowd left from there. However, around late night the police registered a case of rioting against a crowd of hundred people.

The non-government organisation (NGO) that had handled the process of conducting a survey in the slum and had helped identify the beneficiaries amongst other tasks has promised the beneficiaries that their rents will be released soon. Even police officers present at the site tried to intervene and negotiate with the developers.