MUMBAI (Nov 3): Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad on Monday alleged a massive ₹5,000 crore scam in a housing project for project-affected persons (PAPs) in Malad, accusing the BJP-led Mahayuti government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) of bending rules to benefit a private builder.
Calling it the “biggest PAP scam in Mumbai’s history”, Gaikwad said environmental and planning norms were allegedly violated in the allocation of land and construction permissions for the project.
“This is a clear case of collusion between the government, BMC, and builders. Public land meant for the poor has been handed over to private developers in violation of all rules,” she said at a press conference.
The Lok Sabha MP demanded an immediate cancellation of the Malad PAP project, a high-level independent investigation, and criminal proceedings against officials involved.
Gaikwad alleged that irregularities were found in the transfer of development rights and approvals granted under the city’s rehabilitation scheme. “The government must clarify how such a large-scale violation escaped scrutiny. We will raise the issue in Parliament if needed,” she said.
The BMC and Maharashtra government have not yet issued an official response to the allegations.
The PAP scheme is intended to provide housing for families displaced by public infrastructure projects in Mumbai, but opposition leaders have repeatedly flagged misuse of land and funds in its implementation.