Parbhani mayor pick 'reward for Muslims' support to UBT'

MUMBAI: The anointment by Shiv Sena (UBT) of its Muslim corporator Syed Iqbal Syed Khwaja as mayor of Parbhani shows the party's acknowledgement of the contribution of Muslims in strengthening the party in the town in Marathwada, UBT functionaries said. Khwaja is the first Muslim mayor in Parbhani's history.

In the 65-member house, Sena (UBT) has 25 corporators, Congress 12, NC, BJP 12, Janswaraj Paksha 3, Ratnakar Yashwant Sena 1 and independent 1. Once part of the Nizam state, Parbhani became a bastion of the undivided Shiv Sena from 2014, when its candidate Sanjay Jadhav became MP with substantial Muslim support.


Later, Dr Rahul Patil became Sena (UBT) MLA from Parbhani town, retaining the party's influence among Muslims. "Udhhav Thackerayji has rewarded our loyalty to him. There were attempts to divide us, but we got the lead and I was elected mayor," Khwaja said.

Khwaja's elder brother Syed Qadar Khwaja, an education activist in Parbhani, is credited with Sena (UBT)'s good performance there. "Syed Qadar Khwaja has been at the forefront of many campaigns and worked hard to get so many seats for Sena (UBT)," said local Urdu journalist Syed Yousuf.

Khwaja's election as mayor has come as a shot in the arm of Muslims in the Sena (UBT). "This shows Udhhav Thackeray sahab's sense of justice. He acknowledged the contribution of Muslims in strengthening his party in Parbhani and rewarded this.

This will help the party spread its footprint among Muslims," said Sajid Supariwala, Sena (UBT)'s "Muslim voice." He added that in Mumbai, with three Muslim corporators-Sakina Ayub Shaikh, Zeeshan Changez Multani and Saba Haroon Shaikh--the party has already proved that its appeal in the community is increasing, "no matter how much the BJP mocks us."

A BJP leader reportedly criticized Sena (UBT) after it made a Muslim mayor in Parbhani by saying that "from now, Uddhav's party should be called 'Janab Sena'." Another BJP leader said Uddhav has made a "Khan (read Muslim) a mayor in Parbhani, something he could not achieve in Mumbai."

New Delhi: More than 75% of state real estate regulators, Reras, have either never published annual reports, discontinued their publication or not updated them despite statutory obligation and directions from the housing and urban affairs ministry, claimed homebuyers' body Forum For People's Collective Efforts (FPCE) on Friday. It released status report of 21 Reras as of Feb 13.

The availability of updated annual reports is crucial as these contain details of data on performance of Reras, including project completion status categorised by timely completion, completion with extensions, and incomplete projects. The ministry's format for publishing these reports also specifies providing details such as actual execution status of refund, possession and compensation orders as well as recovery warrant execution details with values and list of defaulting builders.

"Unless we have credible data proving that after Rera the real estate sector has improved in terms of delivery, fairness, and keeping its promises, we are merely firing in the air," said FPCE president Abhay Upadhyay, who is also a member of the govt's Central Advisory Council on Rera.

As per details shared by the entity, seven states - Karnataka, TN, WB, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Goa - have never published a single annual report since Rera's implementation, and nine states, including Maharashtra, UP and Telangana, which initially published reports, have discontinued the practice. FPCE said annual report data is not only vital for homebuyers, but is also necessary for framing policies.