Cluster projects will be

INAUGURATION TODAY

THANE: A day after the state government approved the cluster scheme,urbandevelopmentministerEknathShindeclarifiedthat all projects under the cluster scheme will come under the MaharashtraRealEstateRegulatory Authority (MahaRera).

Shinde has also clarified that residents will get ownership of the flat under the scheme and there will be no leased flats.

ChiefMinisterUddhavThackeray will inaugurate the cluster developmentschemeinThaneon Thursday.

Sincetheannouncementofthe inauguration, the scheme had beencriticisedwithactivistssaying that the project will give leased homes and also it would not be monitored by RERA.

Thane-based NGO Thane Matadata Jagran Abhiyaan too had raised several objections to the cluster scheme.

Sanjeev Sane, founder of the NGO, said, “The state should ensure that people get homes on ownership basis and not on the lease. The landowner, tenant, and flat owner should get the maximum benefit of the scheme as they are giving their properties. The government is giving homes to those in illegal buildingsonlease,thisshouldchange. Cluster schemes should come under RERA.”

In a statement released on Wednesday,EknathShindesaid, “Therehasbeenalotofimproper information on cluster development scheme. The urban developmentdepartmenthasdecided to give homes on ownership and not on lease to all beneficiaries.”

“Thoseresidinginlegalbuildings will also get 25% additional space compared to illegal occupants,andwithoutanyadditional charge,” the statement added.

Shinde added that as per the norms, anyconstruction project biggerthan500squaremetrewill be monitored by RERA. “Since clusters will be developed on an area of 10,000 sqm, the buildings will also be under RERA,” he said.

600PEOPLETOBE REHABILITATED

Around600peoplefromKisannagarwillbethefirsttoberehabilitated in the next two months under the cluster development scheme.

ThaneMunicipalCorporation willtaketheguaranteetorehabilitate these people in a stipulated time while temporary rental homesequivalenttotheirpresent homes will be allotted to the 600 people who will be displaced for construction of a 40-metre road. TMCwillspend₹16croretobuild the road.

Officialsfromtheurbandevelopment department informed that though the Urban Renewal Plansofthesixclustershavebeen approved, TMC will also have to seek approval for the individual plansorUrbanRenewalSchemes forthesub-clustersbeforeimplementing them.

Pramod Nimbalkar, deputy city engineer, town planning, said, “We will begin work of the widening Wagale Estate Road number22whichtouchesKisaning will be constructed later for nagar.Atotalof600peoplewillbe permanent homes. rehabilitated in the next two The cluster development months. There will be a tri-party schemewasannouncedinThane agreement. We will take up the almost 10 years ago to bring out responsibilityofgivinghomesto theplanneddevelopmentofdanthose displaced in a stipulated gerous and illegal buildings. timeframe. Those whose homes TMChadsenttheplansforthe aremorethan300sqftwillbeprofirst six clusters to the urban vided with two homes instead of development(UD)departmentof one rental home.” the state for approval.

“Inthenextweek,workonthe An official from UD said, “We stretchwhichdoesnotneedrehahave approved the six URPs. bilitationwillbeginwhileweplan TMC will have to make plans for to complete the rehabilitation in individual sub-clusters. These thenexttwomonths,”Nimbalkar URSorsub-clusterplanswillalso said.Thedisplacedpeoplewillbe need approval from the state. As rehabilitatedin462rentalhomes ofnow,wehavenotreceivedany at Hajuri rental homes. A build- URSforapprovalfromtheTMC.”

TheBhartiyaJanataParty(BJP) in the city has decided to boycott the inauguration function of the cluster development scheme as former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has not been invited.

NiranjanDavkhare,president ofBJP,Thaneunit,said,“Fadnavis’ had pushed for the cluster development project in Thane. However,hehasnotbeeninvited to the inauguration, despite our demand.Wehavedecidedtoboycott the function.”

Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde said the cluster scheme implementationwasacombined effort of Thane residents.

Shinde said, “After a decadelong fight to get approval for the scheme,theclusterdevelopment has got approval from the state. The project will benefit lakhs of residentsandeveryonehasmade equalefforttomaketheschemea reality.”