Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is yet to clear approximately Rs 122 crore in infrastructure charges that it owes the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). These charges were due for the development work carried out under the slum rehabilitation scheme in Mumbai.
This information was obtained in reply to a Right To Information (RTI) query raised by activist Anil Galgali on September 27, 2019. The MMRDA has collected these infrastructure charges from developers but has not handed over this amount to the BMC.
Galgali had sought information from the MMRDA on the total amount paid to the BMC in accordance with the SRA scheme and the balance amount. On October 25, 2019, Deputy City Planner Prashak Ganvir informed Galgali that only basic infrastructure charges until March 2018, amounting to Rs 121.78 crore had been deposited under the authority's SRA cell account. The activist has alleged that Ganvir had only provided half the information and claimed it was misleading. Galgali then met the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) cell chief Mohan Sonar and requested detailed information.
According to Section 9.2 of the Development Control Regulations (DCR) Rule 33 (10), 10 per cent of the total amount is to be paid to the municipal corporation as infrastructural charges. It is a one-time levy developers have to pay for construction, alteration and redevelopment. Galgali has now written to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, demanding an inquiry into why the MMRDA has not paid these infrastructure charges to the BMC and sought strict action against the MMRDA official who has deliberately been hiding this crucial information.
Galgali further requested to share the information about the how much the basic infrastructure fee was collected and how much it paid to the municipality. So far. MMRDA authority has not updated about the current schemes under operation.