MBMC's plans hit as MMRDA says no to ownership rights of flats
The MBMC had contended that project affected people will not hesitate to come forward if these flats are handed over to them free of cost
The Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) suffered a major setback with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) expressing its inability to bestow ownership rights for flats that are presently made available to the civic body by private construction companies under the rental housing scheme (RHS).
Presently, around 1705 flats have been made available to the MBMC in projects which have been sanctioned under the RHS. The civic administration utilises such flats as transit settlements for people
living in dilapidated structures, to rehabilitate projectaffected families and to house beneficiaries of various slum rehabilitation projects in the twin-city on a rental basis.
Aiming to give permanent occupancy to house project affected people and also to arrange permanent accommodation for its conservancy staff who have put in 25 or more years in service, the BJP-ruled MBMC had requested the MMRDA to consider giving ownership rights of the flats. The MBMC had contended that project affected people will not hesitate to come forward if these flats are handed over to them free of cost, and this will in turn help clear obstacles for projects such as road widening and developmental work on plots tagged with reservations. However, in a letter to the MBMC Mayor, the RHS wing of the MMRDA declined the request.
Aimed at increasing the housing stock by constructing or procuring maximum rental housing units in the Mumbai metropolitan region, the MMRDA has started granting extra floor space index (FSI) of 4 to private developers.