Mumbai: With an eye on the upcoming BMC elections, the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) and Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray entered into a credit war over the redevelopment of dangerous and cess buildings in Mumbai that will be possible after the President of India signed the amendments in the MHADA Act 1976, giving preference to the owner or the tenants of a residential building to submit a proposal for redevelopment once it is categorised by the civic body as dangerous for living.
The Mumbai BJP chief and former minister Ashish Shelar said that for years together the redevelopment of cessed buildings had been stalled but now the Shinde-Fadnavis government has worked towards getting rid of that problem. ‘’Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had followed it up and now with the assent from the President, a new law has been enforced. For Mumbaikars this decision is worth to be celebrated like Diwali,’’ he said.
Shelar said that the transit camps are in a bad condition. Now provisions will be made at the same place where people reside. Now the government has taken all the responsibility. Time frame has also been decided. The owners will get their share from the tenants and from the sales component.
‘’This will bring an end to the ‘dadagiri’ done by the owners. Also, the bullying done by the owners of cessed buildings will now come to an end. The government’s intervention has paved the way for the development of the tenants. This is a golden moment for Mumbaikars, worthy of celebrations, opined Shelar.
However, Shiv Sena UBT MP Arvind Sawant alleged that the bill to amend the Mahad Act,1976 was passed by the state legislature during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government but it was deliberately kept pending by the central government despite that.
‘’I had pursued it as an MP with the President of India and the Prime Minister as an MP for an early approval. Shiv Sena is happy that the party's efforts have paid off as the bill has now been approved by the President of India. The bill was introduced in the state assembly and council when Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister. After it was passed by both houses, the bill was sent for Presidential assent. However, the bill was pending for the past two years even after the Governor’s signature,’’ claimed Sawant. He further said due to delays in the approval there was an outcry.
Sawant gave all credit to his boss and former CM Uddhav Thackeray saying that he handled the matter on a priority for Mumbaikars.
Amendments in the MHADA Act 1976
As reported by the Free Press Journal, according to this new law, it will be possible to take over and redevelop the cess buildings that are incomplete / stalled due to various reasons through MHADA.
MHADA can directly take over such buildings and redevelop them. Also, if the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation declares a cess building as dangerous, the building owner will first be given an opportunity to redevelop the building. If he does not submit a proposal for redevelopment within 6 months, a second chance will be given to the tenants. If they also do not submit a proposal for redevelopment within 6 months and if they do not redevelop within the prescribed period, MHADA can take possession of those buildings and redevelop.
It provides for compensation to the owner of the concerned buildings or the plot holder at the rate of 25 percent of the Ready Reckoner (RR) or 15 percent of the built-up area of the sale component, whichever is higher. Hence, the stalled redevelopment of cess (cess) buildings for years will now be taken up.
