Government may frame rules, take over pending SRA projects in Mumbai

The Maharashtra government is mulling the introduction of a regulation, to take over incomplete housing projects of SRA (Slum Rehabilitation Authority) and handing them over to other agencies through tenders. “After taking over such projects, they will be either handed over to Shivshahi Prakalp or allotted to other agencies, for development through tender,” chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, while addressing a gathering in the city on December 1, 2016. Shivshahi Punarvasan Prakalp, a fully-owned company of the state government, looks after the planning and implementation of housing schemes under the SRA, including clearance and redevelopment of slums.
Raising concerns over the misuse of SRA by some builders, the CM said, “A lot of builders have taken LoI (letter of intent) from tenants for the redevelopment of slums and have displaced them. After dis-housing the tenants, in many cases, the builders have not been paying rent to the tenants for 4 to 5 years. In some cases, people have not been given the keys of their houses, in the last 10 years,” he said.
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“We are contemplating fixing a time limit, or to give the builders a benchmark of three, four or five years, to complete the project, he added. “If the builders fail to meet this deadline, their projects would be taken over by the government and handed over to the Shivshahi Prakalp or someone else, in a transparent manner or by tendering,” Fadnavis said.
In cases of redevelopment under the SRA, a developer secures the consent of the tenants, through the LoI.
“Trading of LoI hurts construction activity on the ground, as the builders keep changing for a certain housing project. However, in this case (taking over of SRA projects by the government), the new development agency would not need to get a fresh LoI from the gullible buyers,” he said.
The CM asserted that the government was committed to enhance the efficiency of services rendered to citizens. “63% of Mumbai’s land is non-buildable, while the rest is bearing the entire load. Therefore, we are working towards projects that are not only efficient but also sustainable,” he added.
By: Housing.com/news