Parsi outrage over allotment of SoBo flat to ‘wealthy’ doc

MUMBAI: The Bombay Parsi Punchayat’s decision to allot a free charity flat to a “wealthy” doctor Farokh Master in Colaba’s Cusrow Baug has caused a storm in the Parsi community.
Some members are demanding that the allotment should be cancelled or the doctor be asked to pay the cost of the flat which runs into a few crores. The Punchayat, on the other hand, says the request for allotment came from industrialist Nusli Wadia, whose grandmother Jerbai had built the Parsi colony.In turn, community members say the BPP should not have succumbed to this demand because the doctor already has accommodation in south Mumbai. TOI had reported about the allotment in its June 28 edition.
Nusli Wadia and Dr Farokh did not answer requests for comment. A discussion has erupted on the community’s WhatsApp group. One Parsi posted a lengthy list of Dr Farokh’s academic achievements and meritorious services to the community.
BPP trustee Viraf Mehta, son of former BPP president Dinshaw Mehta, admitted, “Dr Master is neither poor (with a monthly income of Rs 2.4 lakh three years ago as per his application form) nor is he needy (as has been disclosed that he has multiple flats in Mumbai and Udvada). One can say that his allotment was indeed out of turn. I admit basic protocol was not followed in this case, and maybe as trustees this was our lapse. We did not publish his allotment in the newspapers and the keys to the flat were handed over to him before he entered into a leave and licence agreement.”
“However, the preferential allotment was done at the request of Wadia which was thereafter taken into consideration and approved by the trustees. In 54 years, Wadia has recommended five BPP flats for allotment so ignoring the merits of the case, and taking his family’s contribution to our community, the board agreed. I personally was not pleased in the manner in which this allotment took place.”
Community activist Hushang Vakil replied, “The trustees must now leave their egos aside and accept their wrongdoing. They need to take corrective action if they want to regain the trust of the community.”
Another trustee Noshir Dadrawala wrote, “Wadia’s ancestors gave the Parsi community five baugs with about 1,500 flats. He said ‘In 54 years, I have recommended only five cases’. Matter closed. It is not an issue whether Dr Farokh is rich or poor. The grandson of the late Jerbai Wadia made a recommendation and all the trustees had the grace to say yes. That’s all. Let the community show grace and respect to the donor’s family.”
Activist Rayomand Zaiwalla said, “Had our present trustees collected Rs 6 crore as security deposit from the incoming party, for the flat, the interest from such security deposits would have fetched the BPP nearly Rs 50 lakh every year. Our trustees can recover the lost amount.”