Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has decided to tighten eligibility norms for beneficiaries of government housing schemes. The avowed aim is to check influential people from securing multiple flats in housing projects under the various government schemes.
Henceforth a person won’t be eligible for a flat under a government scheme if he or his immediate family has previously been allotted a flat anywhere in Maharashtra under a similar scheme.
The State cabinet approved the policy on Monday and all government housing agencies like MHADA and CIDCO have been directed to amend their rules accordingly.
Under the existing policy, there are restrictions only on acquiring a second home under a government scheme in the same district. But this does not prevent the flat owners from availing of some other government schemes to avail of the benefit outside the district on multiple occasions.
The State government decided to tighten the norms for the beneficiaries after the High Court issued a directive. But there is an exception to the rule, now.
If any family is getting a flat or multiple flats free of cost or at concessional rates due to redevelopment of their building or chawl, then this conditionality will not apply to them.
They can be allotted multiple flats as per the redevelopment policy. But after securing such flats, the family will not be eligible for any other flat under any government scheme.
If any family with flats under a government scheme wishes to upgrade to a better or bigger tenement, it will have to return the original flat in two months after he gets the benefit of the second flat.
The agency will have to process such requests in one month. The cost of the original flat will be determined by the respective government agency. However, it will not be less than the original cost but will be lower than the prevailing market rate.
If any family is applying for a better tenement under any government scheme, it will have to furnish details of flats owned under government schemes.
This policy will not be implemented with retrospective effect. If any family hides the information about already having in possession a flat under a government scheme, the new allotment will be cancelled.
Earlier on May 4, 2018, the Bombay High Court, which was hearing a challenge to an allotment made to a society of sitting HC judges, had ruled that an individual, even if he is a judge or a bureaucrat, should not get another flat if he already has one under a government scheme.
Based on the court’s directives, the housing department readied the policy in this regard, which is expected to be placed before the state cabinet in the coming few days.
