The state government on Tuesday announced it would build 30,000 Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) affordable tenements in Mumbai and surrounding areas in the next two years. The government agencies have submitted the proposal, which is expected to be in place in a day or two, housing minister Jitendra Awhad told the legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
Awhad said the government was contemplating amending the law to free the 25,000 acres acquired for special economic zones (SEZ) for private industrial units. The minister said it will help build five lakh houses in the next five years in Mumbai and surrounding areas. The bill will empower the government to issue a diktat to industrial units to begin the production within a stipulated period on half of the land and surrender the remaining at the rate the land was acquired.
Awhad was replying to a motion moved by ruling party legislators for a debate on housing projects and redevelopment of old buildings and BDD chawls in Mumbai. Awhad, who said he does not shy away to call himself a pro-builder housing minister, said the government was mulling the idea of using land from green zone and no-development zones for affordable housing. He also hinted at relaxing restrictions on housing schemes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
“We want to bring in a sea change in the housing sector which is currently going through a rough phase, with more than 1.56 lakh housing units lying unsold. The industry needs to be given a helping hand for its revival, but at the same time, the ill practices among developers need to be weeded out. As part of the simplification of the system, we have decided to clear the annexure-II list in three months by forming a committee of Mhada, BMC and SRA to ensure the builder need not run from one department to the other. Similarly, the 400 proposals that are pending for letter of intent for change in flat area of 269ft to 300sqft will be cleared in the next 80 days,” he said. Awhad reiterated that the housing stock created by Mhada will have an additional quota of 10% each for class IV employees and police personnel. The minister also announced criminal action against occupants of the tenements meant for project-affected people, if they are not vacated in 30 days.
{{/usCountry}}“We want to bring in a sea change in the housing sector which is currently going through a rough phase, with more than 1.56 lakh housing units lying unsold. The industry needs to be given a helping hand for its revival, but at the same time, the ill practices among developers need to be weeded out. As part of the simplification of the system, we have decided to clear the annexure-II list in three months by forming a committee of Mhada, BMC and SRA to ensure the builder need not run from one department to the other. Similarly, the 400 proposals that are pending for letter of intent for change in flat area of 269ft to 300sqft will be cleared in the next 80 days,” he said. Awhad reiterated that the housing stock created by Mhada will have an additional quota of 10% each for class IV employees and police personnel. The minister also announced criminal action against occupants of the tenements meant for project-affected people, if they are not vacated in 30 days.
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