The Maharashtra Housing & Area Development Authority (MHADA), the nodal agency to construct affordable homes in Maharashtra, has started to undertake mapping and surveys of all land parcels owned by it in Mumbai and other cities of Maharashtra.
The mapping and surveys will be conducted over the next six months through advanced computer technology, according to a July 8 MHADA note. This exercise, MHADA says, will help them understand the potential of constructing more affordable homes in the state.
What is the exercise?
MHADA has started conducting surveys and mapping to develop a Geographical Information System (GIS) driven mapping and Robotic Process Automation system.
How will mapping help?
According to a note prepared by MHADA, with the help of computer systems like GIS mapping and RPA, various records related to MHADA land in the state will be compiled. Based on the information obtained through the survey, MHADA will plan construction activity for affordable homes, keeping in mind the construction capacity of the plots and prevailing laws and regulations in different parts of Maharashtra.
The exercise will help MHADA gauge the financial and construction capacity of the plots that will be compiled and used at various stages of operations.
The housing authority added that with the help of surveys and mapping, MHADA will be able to get information on the status of privately owned lands, possible development of lands, encroachments on plots and availability of reservation-wise vacant plots with a single click on their computer, which will in turn enable management of these lands more efficiently.
Who will do the surveying and mapping?
MHADA has appointed RAH Infotech CE Info Systems and Replete Business Solutions to conduct the surveys and mapping. The appointment is for a period of six months, and the entire exercise will be monitored by the in-house MHADA committee headed by Chief Officer of the Mumbai Division of the authority. MHADA has appealed to the general citizens to cooperate with all the stakeholders involved in the exercise of this mapping.
Which areas will be covered?
MHADA is involved in construction of affordable homes and shops in several parts of Maharashtra and the regions have been divided under several boards. They include the Mumbai Board, Konkan Board, Pune Board, Nashik Board, Aurangabad Board, Amravati Board and Nagpur Board.
MHADA has a total of 114 huge land layouts in Mumbai, and several other layouts throughout Maharashtra. According to estimates, MHADA owns around 4,000 hectares of land in Maharashtra.
Why mapping now?
According to a senior MHADA official who not want to be named, "Earlier, the decision was only to map MHADA land parcels be they vacant, occupied or encroached. We have a good amount of scope outside Mumbai, but the need for land in Mumbai is increasing every passing day. By mapping the land parcels, we will be able to manage these land parcels efficiently."
The official added: "One of the trigger points for justifying the exercise of mapping all land parcels now is this: a few days ago we figured out that MHADA has two huge land parcels near Juhu and Bandra. These are huge land parcels, and thousands of affordable homes can be built. Hence, this will be the best time to complete the exercise."
MHADA's track record
The Maharashtra government established MHADA in 1977 to provide houses at affordable prices in Mumbai and several parts of the state. From its establishment up to November 2021, MHADA has constructed 485,151 dwelling units/tenements (including redevelopment), according to official MHADA data.
MHADA is also the nodal agency to construct affordable homes in Maharashtra under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme.
According to Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs data, 1,409,993 PMAY (Urban) houses and 625,368 houses have been approved for construction in Maharashtra.
The Maharashtra government's target was to construct 19 lakh homes by 2022. However, the target has not been met yet.
MHADA is involved in constructing homes and selling them in the open market via a lottery system. Every year, thousands of homes are sold to general citizens via a lottery system.
How does the lottery system work?
Once MHADA announces a lottery of affordable homes, citizens are expected to apply online for the houses of their preference. The application has to be done basis the income slab of each applicant. The annual income slab for the economically weaker section (EWS) has been increased to Rs 6 lakh for those residing in the Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur Metropolitan Region, and Rs 4.5 lakh for the rest of the state.
For the lower-income group or LIG segment, the annual income limit of the household has been raised to Rs 9 lakh for the Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur Metropolitan Region, and Rs 7.5 lakh elsewhere, going up from Rs 25,001–50,000 monthly income (upper limit of Rs 6 lakh a year) for the entire state.
The income slab for middle-income group (MIG) families, which was Rs 50,001 to Rs 75,000 a month earlier (upper limit of Rs 9 lakh annually) for the entire state, has been revised upwards to Rs 12 lakh state-wide.
Families earning an annual income of over Rs 12 lakh fall in the high income group (HIG) category, which has gone up from the Rs 9 lakh limit earlier. There is no upper limit set for the HIG category.
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