Aaditya Thackeray slams ‘pagdi’ policy, alleges bid to evict Mumbai tenants

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Monday accused the Maharashtra government of using the proposed regulatory framework for redeveloping old 'pagdi system' buildings as a tool to evict long-time residents from Mumbai and benefit landlords and builders.

Addressing a press conference, Thackeray said the real intention behind the policy announced by Deputy Chief Minister and Housing Minister Eknath Shinde was not redevelopment but the displacement of lakhs of Mumbaikars living in pagdi houses.

“There have been instances where buildings are in a dilapidated condition and attempts are being made to throw occupants out. The announcement by the housing minister has been made for landowners and builders,” Thackeray alleged. “They want to drive away lakhs of Mumbaikars living in these pagdi houses out of the city.”

He demanded that all tenants residing in pagdi system buildings be declared legal occupants and provided statutory protection. Thackeray also criticised banners carrying the slogan “pagdi-mukt Mumbai”, calling them misleading. “They want to drive these people out of Mumbai,” he said.

Questioning provisions of the new framework, the Worli MLA said the policy promised tenants the same carpet area after redevelopment, but did not account for the increased potential of redeveloped properties. “Why should tenants not get more space if the building or residential premises is redeveloped?” he asked.

Thackeray further alleged that the BJP-led government was functioning in the interests of real estate developers, dubbing it the “builder janta party”. “This is not a people’s government,” he said.

He also raised a separate demand that high-frequency defence radars located in Mumbai be shifted out of the city, arguing that existing restrictions around these installations were hampering redevelopment in surrounding areas.

The criticism comes days after Shinde announced what he described as a “historic decision” to introduce a regulatory framework for redeveloping buildings managed under the pagdi system, with the stated aim of eventually making Mumbai free of such properties. Explaining the rationale, Shinde had said while some pagdi buildings had been redeveloped, many others had collapsed, and around 13,000 structures were still awaiting reconstruction.

According to Shinde, tenants in pagdi buildings enjoy protection under the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, while landlords argue they do not receive fair compensation due to the extensive rights granted to tenants. The proposed framework, he said, seeks to address these long-standing issues.

The announcement, made ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, is expected to affect thousands of tenants across south and central Mumbai.

The pagdi system is a traditional rent-control arrangement under which tenants pay an upfront amount and nominal rent, enjoying near-lifelong occupancy along with rights to sublet or transfer the premises. While it shaped Mumbai’s housing landscape for decades, the system has also been criticised for opacity and redevelopment bottlenecks.