Mumbai: Shiv Sena Politico wants waiver of transfer fees on sale of SRA flats

As India's richest municipal corporation known "Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation" elections are around the corner all local and major political parties in Mumbai wish to woe the voters. Shiv Sena, one of the biggest saffron Political party, currently ruling the BMC also seems to be geared up for the upcoming polls. As part of it, Sena veteran leader and Ex-MLA and currently the Chairman of Mumbai Building Repairs& Reconstruction Board of MHADA, Vinod Ghosalkar wants no transfer fees to be charged on the sale of Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) houses.

Transfer fees is charged while changing the titleship of the house.

Ghosalkar said, "If an SRA house is sold the transfer fees charges id amounting to 1.5 lac, which is huge. Generally, the SRA houses are bought by middle-income group people therefore, I have appealed to the state that the transfer fees should be waived off. As the new purchaser also has to pay stamp duty. Therefore, one type of fee should be charged."

Another housing authority MHADA of the state which usually offers affordable houses via lottery scheme charge Rs 10,000 as transfer fees for houses under the Economical weaker section category. While on the contrary, SRA houses which are smaller in size, charge Rs 1.5 lakh as transfer fees. The SRA Chief Executive Officer has also put the proposal to wave -off transfer fees, said official requesting anonymity.

The state housing department had decided to allow beneficiaries of SRA projects to sell tenements allotted to them within five years of their shanties being razed. The housing department’s recommendations now await the state cabinet nod.

At present, slum-dwellers get houses free of cost under the SRA scheme, but they can’t sell or rent them out for 10 years.