Want to regularise illegal structures in Maharashtra? You will have to pay hefty fines

The move will help regularise lakhs of illegal structures or unauthorised buildings in Mumbai including those at the controversial Campa Cola compound in Worli

The state government has decided to regularise lakhs of unauthorised buildings and structures in cities and towns across Maharashtra, including Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

Local bodies have been asked to invite applications from people seeking to regularise such structures within the next six months. (HT File)

To do so, it will charge hefty fines comprising development charges, infrastructure charges and compounding charges. Such structures will then be declared ‘compounded structures’. Local bodies have been asked to invite applications from people seeking to regularise such structures within the next six months.

The move will help regularise lakhs of illegal structures or unauthorised buildings, largely residential ones, including those at the controversial Campa Cola compound in Worli.

However, unauthorised construction on prohibited areas such as defence land, heritage buildings, dumping grounds, playgrounds and gardens will not be regularised. Unauthorised buildings in ecologically sensitive areas such as coastal regulation zones, mangroves, forests, and structurally unsafe buildings will not be regularised, according to the Maharashtra Town Planning (Compounded Structures) Rules, 2017.

On Saturday, the state urban development department (UDD), headed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, issued these rules to regularise unauthorised construction till December 31, 2015.

The UDD had issued draft rules in July and asked people to send in their suggestions and objections before a final notification was issued.

In March, the Bombay high court stuck down the state’s draft policy to regularise unauthorised construction for the second time. The court said the draft policy was contrary to the Maharashtra Region Town Planning (MRTP) Act, Development Control Rules and State Town Planning Act.

The local body will consider regularising unauthorised construction on inaam land and occupant class-II plots that are no longer reserved. Likewise, lands reserved for roads, railways, Metros can benefit from the rules if they are de-reserved.

The list includes government plots, land owned by government agencies or earmarked for special scheme for rehabilitation or resettlement of project-affected people. However, the concerned planning authority must give a no objection certificate (NOC).

“No further construction will be permitted once the structure has been declared ‘compounded’. Repairs, maintenance and any redevelopment or reconstruction of that structure will be permitted only according to provisions of the prevailing development control and promotion regulations,” the notification stated.

People will have to pay development charges, infrastructure charges equal to the development charges and compounding charges, which will be double the development charges. In Mumbai, the development charges is 60% of the ready reckoner (RR) rate of the plot, said a senior UDD official.