Communist Party of India (CPI) has asked Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to take over Mukesh Ambani’s Antilla and convert it into a coronavirus facility. Prakash Reddy, Secretary, Mumbai Council, in a letter to BMC made this request.
https://twitter.com/comradereddy/status/1272166647793504256?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwHe further said that there are 22 floors in Ambani’s tower with only five family members living in it. Each family member has one floor, and 17 floors are remaining that can be turned into a quarantine center. There are many such opulent bungalows and towers that BMC can use to treat and shelter Covid-19 patients.
In his letter, Reddy claims that the BMC had recently taken over shantytowns and slums redeveloped by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to facilitate Covid-19 patients. It has sparked outrage among political sections. Reddy claimed that it is a grave injustice to the slum dwellers. “They were deprived of a dignified lifestyle for years. Now they are being asked to leave their redeveloped residences to house the Covid-19 patients. He added that if BMC continues to seize the redeveloped shanties, the residents will be forced to barge into Ambani’s house and occupy the empty space in his tower,” the letter said.
Reddy has asked BMC to take back its decision to take control of redeveloped shantytowns and chawls for quarantining virus affected patients.
In the statement, CPI leader further said that it is not right to handover vacant land and shuttered factories and mills to builders so that they can construct malls and apartments. These locations must be used to build hospitals. There are countless skyscrapers in the city that have many unoccupied flats that were bought as an investment. The government should form a plan to take over such apartments to shelter coronavirus patients.
Maharashtra has crossed 100,000 Covid-positive cases. There are 53,030 active cases in the state, with 3,950 deaths reported. Mumbai alone has almost 30,000 active cases.