Nagpur, Dec 13 (IANS) Maharashtra Minister of State for Housing Pankaj Bhoyar on Saturday announced that the corpus fund for redevelopment housing projects in Mumbai, implemented through the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), will be increased in accordance with the height of the buildings.
The move, he said, aims to ensure better housing and basic facilities for common citizens in the city. The minister was replying to a question raised by BJP legislator Atul Bhatkhalkar in the Assembly.
Minister Bhoyar said that until now, a corpus fund of only Rs 40,000 per flat was being provided in SRA and MHADA redevelopment projects. However, this amount was found to be insufficient to meet actual maintenance and operational expenses. In view of this, the government constituted a committee to examine the issue in detail.
Based on the committee's recommendations, the government has accepted a proposal to revise the corpus fund structure according to building height. Under the new framework, the corpus fund will be increased to Rs 1 lakh per flat for buildings with a height of up to 70 metres, Rs 2 lakh for buildings ranging from 70 to 120 metres, and Rs 3 lakh for buildings taller than 120 metres.
The minister said that a notification regarding this change has been issued under the provisions of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966. He added that the process of hearing objections and suggestions is at the final stage, and the revised corpus fund norms will soon be implemented by the SRA and the state government.
Minister Bhoyar also announced additional measures aimed at promoting green energy. He said it will now be mandatory for developers to install solar panels in redevelopment projects before an Occupation Certificate (OC) is issued. He further warned that strict action will be taken against developers who hand over possession of flats without obtaining an OC.
"If possession is given without an OC in incomplete buildings, a detailed investigation will be carried out and a list of such cases will be prepared. Action will be taken in all future cases where possession is handed over without an OC,” the minister informed the House.
Meanwhile, Minister of State Madhuri Misal told the Assembly that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the cutting down of 70-year-old trees along a road adjacent to the municipality in Rajura town of Chandrapur district. She was replying to a calling attention motion moved by legislator Devram Bhongale.
Minister Misal said it has emerged that a 70-year-old tree was pruned on mere verbal instructions, without obtaining any official permission. She said that almost the entire tree was cut down in the name of pruning branches, and initially no action was taken in the matter. However, following complaints raised by legislators, punitive action has now been initiated against those responsible.
In this case, the contractor involved has been directed to plant new trees equal to the number of 70-year-old trees that were cut and to nurture them for a period of seven years. The contractor has also been blacklisted, and a case has been registered against him at the Rajura police station.
— IANS
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