OPEN LETTER TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE BPP
By Arzan J. Ghadially
Subject: Clarity Requested on the Increased Service Charges of Rs. 750 per month, since 2017.
Dear Trustees, I would like to draw your attention to an article authored by Mr. Phiroze Amroliwalla published in ‘Parsi Junction’ dated June 14, 2020, and subsequently continued again on June 21, 2020, on the mentioned subject matter, besides others. Mr. Phiroze Amroliwalla claims that the amount of Rs. 750 that the BPP has been collecting since 2017 is illegal and that the legal tendered dues are minus the Rs. 750, which he refers to as, “Increased Service Charges”. I believe residents from other colonies, including Gamadia Colony, are refusing to pay their monthly outgoings and I am not aware if any notice has been served to any such occupants. A small back of envelope calculation shows the following: BPP has 2,800 flats approximately. Around 85% to 90% of tenants have paid the increased amount and the balance 10% to 15% who have not, have been told to either pay in full or nothing. On average say, 335 occupants are paying no rent. Rent ranges from Rs. 2,500 to 5,000, considering an average of around Rs. 3,000 per month. Those who do not pay would be owing dues of (Rs. 3,000 pm x 12 months x 3 years) = Rs 1,08,000 per tenant. This works out to Rs 3.62 crores considering 335 tenants or thereabouts do not pay! With outstanding dues of almost Rs 3.6 crores, the silence of all the Trustees on this matter, is alarming. My question to the Lone CA Trustee – Mr. Xerxes Dastur is, whether breaking FDs worth Crores is a better option or recovering these dues in Crores, a good solution? What have the Trustees done for recovery of dues? Have notices been sent to these occupants who have not paid? If sent, what is the outcome? If sent and not responded to, has the subject matter been ever taken on the Agenda for the Board meeting of the Trustees and discussed? What is the plan of action of the BPP to recover these dues? Prima facie it amounts to complete mismanagement of Trust funds. Mr. Xerxes Dastur had also committed to have the increased service charges of Rs. 750 per month waived – the same was published in Parsi Junction and the community had welcomed the move. Now even he is on silent mode! In view of the above and for the sake of complete clarity, I would sincerely request all the Trustees to issue a joint statement, and in one voice, clarify if the increased service charges are legal -as per Rent Act or illegal – as per Mr. Phiroze Amroliwalla and all the others, who have not paid the increased service charges. If the Trustees continue to be in silent mode over this issue and have no plans of recovering the dues from approximately 335 + defaulting occupants – as can be evidenced from the delay of 3 years – in which case, the increased amount collected from the rest of the occupants at Rs. 750 per month, for 3 years, may please be refunded or adjusted, within a specified timeline. The more years we drag the issue, more the cost of litigation later! Awaiting a response. – Arzan J. Ghadially
Combined Request To Public And Veterans, From All Ranks Of The Army
By Cdre Medioma Bhada
This is our combined request to the public and the veterans alike – please let us do our job. Rest assured, we will lay down our lives without batting an eyelid, if defending the country requires that. But please avoid reasoning every move we make and everything that we do in the battlefield.
If there’s anything you can do for us, it is just to be appreciative of what we are doing and give strength to our dear ones left behind at home through your words and if possible through your deeds, we will appreciate that a lot. If that is not possible, we will still be happy, if you avoid trying to analyse 24/7, every move we make or don’t make, why we fired or didn’t etc.
By the way, while confronting the enemy in the battlefield, we are under no political policy compulsions and we don’t look for any political instructions. Our competent commanders on the spot give instructions – they are very competent, care for us, rub shoulders with us. We look up to them.
So, we request you, our countrymen, countrywomen, and our veterans, to kindly avoid analysing our minute-to-minute actions, that too in public – what we do, what we don’t do , why we do etc. Please let us concentrate on our job feeling confident that regardless of what we do, you are behind us and we can take that for granted. If you are divided, it could shake our confidence, because your unity, trust, support and belief gives us greater strength than our weapons. Trust us, we don’t hide facts, but we certainly hold back operationally sensitive information which could help the enemy. In return, we give you the promise of guarding our borders with our life. Not asking for too much, we hope.
We salute you and salute our tri-colour – the two most precious things that we value most.
Jai Hind!
By Cdre Medioma Bhada
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