At a special meeting convened at his official residence, Varsha, Joshi assured Sena leaders who had organised a protest rally yesterday that those unwilling to form cooperative housing societies will not be penalised. A huge mob of Sena activists and supporters had staged an agitation outside Bharatmata theatre in Dadar against the stringent laws imposed for residents of reconstructed buildings.

According to the Sukhtankar Committee's recommendations, reconstructed buildings have to be conveyed to housing societies formed by 70 per cent of the occupants. It recommended that the remaining 30 per cent who do not agree for conveyanceshall be summarily evicted from the premises. Moreover, electric and water connections will be cut in those buildings whose occupants oppose and do not want a conveyance. MRRB had recently issued a circular stating that these conditions be implemented with immediate effect.

Sukhtankar Committee recommendations had been submitted last July to ensure speedy reconstruction of dilapidated cessed buildings. MRRB which was instituted over 25 years back to solve the problem of dilapidated buildings has been able to reconstruct 350 odd buildings. The occupants of these buildings pay a monthly rent to MHADA which is the owner of the property. However the Board said that it could not sustain the financial burden of maintaining these buildings. Therefore conveyance was recommended. Through conveyance, a procedure by which the tenants would register as cooperative housing society and the society would then have the property transferred to its name on a lease basis.

However at today's meeting attended by VilasAvachat, MHADA president, Madhu Chavan, MRRB Chairman, Swadheen Khsatriya, MHADA Vice president besides some Sena leaders, Avachat asked the CM to put a stay on the conveyance conditions. Then chief minister has agreed to do this. Talking The Indian Express, Avachat said he has withdrawn the circular issued by MRRB till the Winter session when a final decision will be taken.

At today's meeting Chavan also demanded that occupants of reconstructed buildings should get concessions on their property tax.