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SERVICE CHARGES:

The BPP recently decided to increase the Service Charges of residents of our BPP Baugs by Rs.750/- per month, starting 1st February, 2017. Why would the Board take a decision to increase service charges, knowing that it would be an unpopular move, unless the financial strain of subsiding the residents for years was crippling the BPP and we had to stop the hemorrhaging. The reactions to this increase were an eye opener. Most community members who stay outside our colonies in cosmopolitan buildings and societies felt the increase was justified as they themselves were paying high monthly outgoings with little or no facilities. Many quoted that their servants were paying much more for 10’x10’ kholis in slums than what was being paid by residents of our colonies.

On the other hand the reactions from certain Colony / Baug Associations has saddened me. The BPP stated that all those residents who genuinely were unable to pay the increase, should write to the BPP and after investigation, their increase would be decreased or waived. Yet some Colony Associations, like Godrej Baug, apparently misguided by persons working against the BPP, wrote letters questioning the increase. In fact what was expected from the Colony Associations was to help the BPP in identifying those residents who genuinely would not be able to pay the increase and request the BPP to waive or reduce the increase for these deserving residents.

Here are the Financial Facts from our Audited Accounts which justifies the increase in Service Charges:-

For FY 2015-16, the income of the BPP from Colonies towards rents and occupation charges, parking, hoardings was Rs. 5.74 crores, whereas the expenditure for the colonies connected to the above income was Rs. 9.38 crores (excluding BPP contribution of 50% for repairs of buildings) leaving a deficit of Rs. 3.64 crores.

For the FY 2015-16 the BPP earned an Interest Income of Rs. 13.22 crores which covered the following expenses –

1. Deficit on Colonies – Rs 3.64 crores
2. Trust/ establishment expenses – Rs 2.4 crores
3. Doongerwadi – Rs 2.84 crores
4. Mobed Scheme – Rs 1.84 crores
5. Maintainance of 2 agiaries – 0.23 crores
6. Education support – Rs 0.82 crores
7. Medical help – Rs. 1.58 crores
8. Legal expenses – Rs 1.31 crores
9. Doles/ Relief of Poverty – Rs 2.75 crores
10. 2nd & 3rd Child Assistance – Rs. 0.53 crores
11. 50% contribution to bldg. repairs – Rs. 1.60 crores

All this has left the BPP with a deficit of Rs. 6.64 crores in FY 2015-16

Some of the big ticket items of expenditure incurred by the BPP in the immediate past which has not come to the attention of the community has been the following–

• Rs. 27,14,168 for Godrej Baug’s pneumatic water pumps,
• Rs. 63,58,935 for replacement of lifts in Bharucha Baug,
• Rs. 9,85,623 for Pumps at Multi-storeyed Bldg, Bharucha Baug,
• Rs 19,86,161 for paver blocks at Contractor Baug, Mahim,
• Rs 7,14,805 for paver blocks at BPP Complex, Goregaon.

The only way to make the BPP financially viable is to have a stable balance between the income from the BPP colonies and the expenditure on the BPP colonies. Consequently it is inevitable that the BPP must increase the Service Charges to bridge the gap.

It must be clarified that the R.N and N.N. Wadia Baugs Fixed Deposits total Rs 134 crores. The Wadia funds cannot be utilized for general activities of the BPP. Both – Justice (Retd.) B. N. Shrikrishna and Darius Khambatta, former Advocate General of Maharashtra – have given written opinions that the R.N. and N. N. Wadia Baugs funds can ONLY be utilized for the purposes set out in their Trust Deeds and for no other purpose. The R.N. and N. N. Wadia Baugs funds cannot be utilized for non-housing activities of the BPP. Therefore Rs. 30 crores from the Wadia Baug funds are earmarked to be utilized for constructing 2 residential Towers at BPP Complex in Goregaon in the next one year. Plans for this project are being finalized by the Wadia Committee of Management and this project will generate 50 flats under the merit rating scheme and 118 flats on subsidized ownership basis.

.

HOUSING PROJECTS:

A. Nirlon, Goregaon – The Wadia Committee of Management has kicked started a new project at our Nirlon complex, Goregaon, which will eventually deliver the following –

• 66 flats for rehousing existing licencees presently occupying the Nirlon Colony
• 118 flats of varying sizes on subsidized ownership basis
• 50 flats for free allotment to the poor and deserving

The flats will be in 2 towers with a garden, podium parking and, more importantly, a dadgah. This project will not be a self financing project, since 50% of the flats will be used for re-housing and free allotments with even the ownership flats being given at rates heavily discounted to the market rates. Consequently approximately Rs 30 crores will be funded from the corpus of R.N. & N.N. Wadia Baugs.

This project should be ready towards the end of the term of this current Board.

B. Bharucha Baug, Andheri – My colleague Trustee Kersi Randeria is spearheading a new Housing project which will have a mix of charity housing, subsidized ownership and also shops / offices at discounted rates to encourage entrepreneural spirit in our community with special emphasis on our youth.

The funds from the Sale of the Navsari building will be utilized to build this project.

This project should be completed in the next 18-24 months.

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DERISKING INVESTMENTS:

The BPP and the R.N. & N.N. Wadia Baugs have the following Fixed Deposits–
BPP – Rs. 105 crores
R.N. & N.N. Wadia Baugs – Rs.134 crores
The entire amount of Rs. 239 crores had hitherto been invested in HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corp. Ltd). While HDFC has always offered comparatively the highest rate of interest, this policy of putting all eggs in one basket was a potential financial disaster. This new Board, in recognition of this potential financial holocaust, has now derisked the investments by moving 50% of the Fixed Deposits to other Banks like Zoroastrian Bank, Kotak Bank and Deutsche Bank. While the interest rates offered by these Banks are marginally lower than HDFC, it is a small price to pay for the safety and security of the Funds of the BPP and the R.N. & N. N. Wadia Baugs.

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GAMADIA HOSTEL:

The new caterer, Khorzad Bhesadia, appointed by the BPP for our Gamadia Boys Hostel is proving to be a big hit with the Hostel boys. Khorzad from his own funds has transformed the filthy kitchen and messy storage room left behind by the last caterer Keki Darji into a bright, spankingly clean, hygienic area. The icing on the cake is that he also, again through his own funds, had the dining / recreational hall painted and spruced up. When we asked some of the boys about the food served by Khorzad, this is what they had to say –“the food that has started in our mess is very delicious.” “I am so glad that we are lucky to have such a wonderful caterer”. “evan to apune margi ni tang bhi serve karech”.

Due credit must be given to my co-Trustees Kersi Randeria and Viraf Mehta for persisting in their efforts to get a Parsi caterer for the Gamadia Boys Hostel and for negotiating very affordable rates and at the same time ensuring good quality and variety of food for our youngsters.

Since the past 2 months a new person has also been appointed in place of persons employed earlier for cleaning the Hostel. It is a pleasure to see the change in the Hostel with the corridors, hall, lavatories and bathrooms all spotlessly clean with the employment of this new person on a casual basis. The repairs and renovation of the Hostel will be undertaken by the BPP in the summer months when the Hostel is vacant.

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THE A. H. WADIA BAUG – ENDING CONFLICT:

The A. H. Wadia Baug conflict has been simmering since the last decade between the Managing Committee and the BPP. Every time there was the hint of a solution, certain egos on both sides would scuttle it through misgivings and double talk. Our new Board resolved to address this issue in a very forthright and firm manner.

At a Special General Board meeting of the members convened on 4th December 2016, the BPP spelt out the following conditions for the withdrawal of all pending court cases.

1. NOC of BPP is a must for transfer of flats and 20% of the difference between sale price and Ready reckoner Price, whichever is higher less Cost / Transfer Price to be paid to the BPP, who will return 50% of the amount so collected to the Society for Major repairs of the Society’s four buildings.
2. The Parsi / Irani Covenant Clause should be strictly followed i.e. the Sale and Purchase of Society’s flats should be amongst Parsi /Irani Zoroastrians only.
3. The present Managing Committee should start the process of holding the next Elections of the Managing Committee as required under the Maharashtra State Co-Op. Societies Act.
   Majority of the members present in the meeting agreed to the proposal offered by the BPP Chairman, by a show of hands and the decade old conflict has ended.

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DOONGERWADI AND DOKHMENISHINI:

When the BPP was formed 300 years ago, its only objective was to look after and maintain the lands which are the foundation on which Dokhmenishini rests. Despite housing having taken over the focus of the BPP Trustees, we are mandated to sustain and strengthen the system of Dokhmenishini. I am pleased to inform the community that my colleague Trustee, Kersi Randeria, has taken upon himself the task of repairing the walls of the Bisni dokhma with the help of former BPP Trustee Mr. Maneck Engineer, and in consultation with Kshnoomists Hanoz Mistry, Behram Dhabhar and Ervad Rooyintan Peer.

Of late there have been pictures / videos of the inside of the Dokhmas being circulated in the social media. It is apparent that these are old pictures / videos which are being recycled because the said pictures / videos show the ozone shaft which has already been dismantled three years ago. With the appointment of Mr. Vistaspar Mehta as the new Manager at Doongerwadi, the BPP is confident of success in strengthening the system of Dokhmenishini.

In the absence of vultures decomposition under sunlight is the primary mode of disintegration of the body. It is a forensic fact that if a body is kept to decompose on land, “dry decay” sets in 50 days after death. (Dry Decay means the body has been reduced to hair and bones). So it is clear that if a body is left on the “pavi” of the dokhma, exposed to daylight for 8-10 weeks, it will be reduced to hair and bones after which it can be pushed into the Bhandar (inner well of the Dokhma). What is stated here is corroborated by the first hand experience of Marzban Palsetia published in the Jame Jamshed dated 12th February 2017, who went in to the Dokhma in Nargol to consign the body of his deceased aunt and then 5 months later went again in the same dokhma to consign another body and observed that the earlier body of his deceased aunt was reduced to hair and bones.

In the three operational Dokhmas, there are enough “Pavis” for the bodies to be so exposed as explained above for 8-10 weeks even given that each Dokhma is “rested” for a few months in a year. The direction is to educate and persuade the Khandias to use all the “Pavis” and proper supervision to ensure that the bodies are not pushed from the pavis into the Bhandar until they are reduced to hair and bones. It is my conviction that with Vistaspar, as the new Manager, the BPP can work with the Khandias to bring the system back on track even without the vultures. Vistaspar has chalked out a daily plan to ensure that the mourners who stay in the bunglis for four days prayers are accorded a decent and comfortable facility in their moment of grief.

We encourage mourners to freely give their feedback and suggestions to Vistaspar who makes it a point to interact with the grieving relatives. Anyone can communicate with Vistaspar on his email ID: bppdoongarwadi@gmail.com

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