In a major setback to the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has expressed its inability to bestow ownership rights on flats which are presently made available to the civic body by private construction companies under the Rental Housing Scheme (RHS).
Presently around 1705 flats have been made available to the MBMC in projects which have been sanctioned under the RHS. The civic administration utilizes such flats as transit settlements for people belonging to dilapidated structures and for rehabilitating project-affected families and to house beneficiaries of various slum rehabilitation projects in the twin-city on a rental basis.
Eyeing permanent occupancy to house project-affected people and also to arrange permanent accommodation for its conservancy staff who have put in 25 or more years in service, the BJP-ruled MBMC had requested the MMRDA to consider giving ownership rights of the flats. The MBMC had contended that project-affected people will not hesitate to come forward if these flats are handed over to them free-of-cost, which in turn help clear obstacles for projects such as road widening and developmental work on plots tagged with reservations.
However, in a letter to the MBMC Mayor, the RHS wing of the MMRDA has declined the request.
Aimed at increasing the housing stock by constructing or procuring maximum rental housing units in the MMR, the MMRDA started granting extra Floor Space Index (FSI) of 4 to private developers.
