Mumbai, July 8, 2026: In a relief to thousands of Mumbaikars, the civic Standing Committee on Wednesday passed the 'OC Amnesty Scheme' aimed at regularising buildings that are occupied by flat owners but lack an Occupation Certificate (OC).
The scheme will be applicable for flats up to 80 sq mt (816 sq ft) built from 1991 to November 2016. Apart from residential buildings, school and hospital buildings will also be considered as per the directions of the State Urban Development Department (UDD).
Scheme To Benefit Non-OC Buildings
The policy is to benefit non-OC buildings whose regularisation is pending due to technical hurdles and factors beyond residents' control, such as absconding builders and administrative delays.
The proposal was tabled before the BMC Standing Committee for the third time on Wednesday and will be implemented once it gets a Corporation resolution. The administration will then release guidelines/SOP, after which citizens can start applying.
In April, the BMC had sent a revised proposal to the UDD seeking removal of the cap of 80 sq mt flats and issuance of OCs to all residential buildings with approved plans, along with the inclusion of commercial buildings (such as private offices) and not just schools and hospitals. The BJP intended to bring in the 'OC for All' policy.
However, the UDD is yet to respond to the suggested revisions. Standing Committee Chairman Prabhakar Shinde said that once the UDD responds, the revisions will be implemented.
Until then, the scheme will benefit the weaker sections, buildings that have the required NOCs in place, and residents suffering because of developers' faults and eagerly awaiting regularisation.
The Free Press Journal had reported on June 23 that the proposal sent by the administration said, "Through citizens and local people's representatives, complaints are being received that citizens are facing various problems due to the lack of Occupancy Certificate for buildings, and they are constantly asking for the implementation of the OC Amnesty Scheme at the earliest. Accordingly, it is requested through the citizens and local people's representatives that until the revised proposal submitted by the Municipal Corporation on 15/04/2026 is received from the government, if the citizens who can benefit from the OC Amnesty Scheme are given benefits as per the instructions given by the government on 11.12.2025, the problems of the people can be partially resolved. Also, if the revised instructions of the government are received in the future, it would be appropriate to take further action accordingly."
Policy And Opposition Concerns
The policy passed on Wednesday is the one approved by the State UDD in December 2025, with certain revisions, including implementation of the amnesty scheme for buildings built and occupied before November 17, 2016, instead of the dateline of January 6, 2012; not levying any penalty for buildings that have converted Free FSI features to habitable use but apply within six months of the policy's introduction; and including hospital and school buildings.
Though the proposal was passed in the Standing Committee, the Opposition raised concerns over its implementation, lack of clarity over who will be included, action against developers who are at fault or absconding while leaving residents to suffer, and steps to blacklist such defaulting developers.
However, BJP group leader Ganesh Khankar said that no amnesty scheme is implemented by breaking the law and that OCs will be given only after ensuring the buildings have complied with mandatory requirements such as a Fire NOC.
"Our intention is that once the policy is introduced, at least whoever is eligible for regularisation will immediately benefit. The concerns raised by the Opposition are valid and revisions will be implemented as and when the State UDD issues instructions."
Willington Heights Case Triggered Policy
The introduction of the OC Amnesty Scheme was triggered after the Tardeo Willington Heights case, in which the top 17 floors of the high-rise were vacated following a Bombay High Court order. The building has a partial OC, and a resident had approached the court.
In August 2025, the court ordered the evacuation of residents from the non-OC floors until the entire building is regularised. It was one of its kind of action taken in Mumbai. However, since then, the 27 evacuated families of the posh high-rise have continued to stay in alternate accommodation.
Satish Mehta, a resident of Willington Heights, said, "Buildings like ours, constructed under the conditions prevailing in 1992 and unable to match the conditions of current times, and stuck in technicalities, will get relief and a window to straighten out the issues legally with this much-awaited Amnesty Scheme. There are about 58,000 buildings awaiting OC that will benefit too."
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"We have suffered the onslaught of the conflicting technicalities to the maximum degree, but are glad that a few lakh Mumbaikars will be able to apply, fulfil the conditions of the SOP of the scheme, and become regular buildings with an OC. We thank the government for looking at our woes and understanding the gaps," Mehta said, adding that he has been staying in alternate accommodation since August 2025.
The policy was announced by Minister Ashish Shelar in 2025, before the BMC elections, and he had said it would benefit more than 20,000 non-OC buildings in Mumbai.
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