PPF_housing1_18_Mankhurd_protest
REMOVAL TO MANKHURD
Squatters Protest In Bombay
About 200 men, mostly residents
of squatter colonies in Vadala and
Mahim, held a demonstration in
front of the Bombay Municipal
Buildings on Monday afternoon
while a meeting of the Corporation
was in progress.
Their object was to protest
against the decision of the Municipal authorities to remove the
squatter colonies in Vadala and
Mahim in the next few days. Following the demolition of the squatter colony at Sion, from where
about 500 families have shifted to
the squatter township at Mankhurd, batakis have been beaten
at Vadala and Mahim asking the
residents to shift to Mankhurd.
They will be provided free transport to Mankhurd provided they
pay two months’ rent (Rs. 10) in
advance, the period being counted
from the date they actually occupy the space allotted to them at Mankhurd.
Office-bearers of the Greater
Bombay Tenants’ Association, who
led the demonstration, however,
stated that the squatters were unwilling to go to Mankhurd not
only because many of the residents
would experience difficulty in
reaching their places of work but
also because the experience of
those who were already at Mankhurd had served as a warning to them.
The leaders of the Tenants’ Association stated that apart from
the squatters in Vadala and Mahim refusing to go to Mankhurd
many who had gone to Mankhurd
would return to the city.
The office-bearers met the Municipal Commissioner, Mr. B. K.
Patel, who is reported to have
told them that he would represent
their grievance in regard to the inadequacy of the railway transport to Mankhurd and see if it would
be possible for the railway
authorities to provide direct trains
from Mankhurd to Bombay.
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