Maharashtra legislators to reside in comfort 1,000-sq-ft flats in upcoming hostel; check details

Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, accompanied by Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar and Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe, marked the commencement of the construction of the Manora MLA hostel at Nariman Point, estimated to cost nearly Rs 1,300 crore. The ambitious project will consist of two high-rise buildings, 40 and 28 storeys respectively, with each legislator receiving a 1BHK flat.

During the ceremony, Speaker Narwekar removed a sticker on a chair designated for the Chief Minister and invited Ajit Pawar to sit in his place. He clarified that CM Eknath Shinde was initially supposed to attend the event but could not due to personal reasons, and no significance should be attached to him asking Pawar to occupy the CM's chair.

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The original estimated cost of the project in 2018 was around Rs 853 crore, but it has now escalated to Rs 1,266 crore.

The need for this new MLA hostel arose as the previous Manora MLA hostel had deteriorated and was demolished. Consequently, legislators faced challenges in finding accommodation during legislative sessions, leading the state government to spend over Rs 100 crore on rent to provide temporary housing for the legislators.

The state legislative assembly comprises 288 MLAs, while the legislative council has 78 members. Approximately 130 legislators have been accommodated in one room each at the Akashwani MLA hostel and the Old Vidhan Bhavan MLA hostel in Colaba. These legislators receive a monthly allowance of Rs 50,000.

For the remaining lawmakers who haven't been provided a room, they receive a higher hostel allowance of Rs 1 lakh per month.

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The upcoming Manora MLA hostel aims to address this accommodation issue comprehensively. It will be designed to house all 288 MLAs and 78 MLCs, with each legislator being allotted a compact 1BHK flat spanning around 600 square feet. Additionally, there will be an extra 400 square feet area for each flat, intended for dormitory accommodation to host visitors.

The new hostel will boast a total built-up area of approximately 7.75 lakh square feet and will have direct connectivity to the Metro 3 line. The construction of these new towers is expected to be completed within three years, providing a much-needed and modern living space for the legislators.