Mumbai Housing Societies Can Get Occupancy Certificates Until April 10
MHADA’s Amnesty Scheme offers housing societies a chance to secure OCs easily
Mumbai, MHADA, Occupancy Certificate, Housing Societies, Amnesty Scheme
Mumbai: The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has rolled out a new Amnesty Scheme. This is a big deal for housing societies in Mumbai and nearby areas. They can finally get those long-awaited Occupancy Certificates (OCs) for their redeveloped buildings. The scheme is set to run until April 10, and it’s expected to help around 80 societies.
So, here’s the scoop: many societies were stuck because they couldn’t pay the premium differential amount for redevelopment. But with this new scheme, MHADA has waved the interest on that amount. Now, they only need to pay the principal sum. Plus, if a building was redeveloped under the 1991 Development Control Regulations, there’s a 75% waiver on penalties for any unauthorized construction.
MHADA’s Mumbai Board is in charge of 114 layouts, which include about 2.25 lakh housing units. Out of these, 56 are older layouts that are currently being redeveloped. Societies that got redevelopment approvals between July 29, 2004, and June 4, 2007, were previously told to pay the premium differential. But many didn’t, which caused delays in getting their OCs. This led to all sorts of headaches for members, like higher property taxes and issues with buying or selling flats.
The Amnesty Scheme also helps societies that got redevelopment permissions from January 7, 1912, to November 12, 2018. OCs will now be issued based on the approved plot areas, and things like covered balconies and flower beds will be included in the certificate process. If there are unauthorized constructions beyond what was approved, they’ll still get a 75% penalty waiver, but they’ll need to pay the remaining charges according to MHADA’s rules.
For any construction that’s outside the approved plans, there will be correction charges, but the 75% penalty waiver still applies. This scheme is a real lifesaver for housing societies and their members, who have been struggling financially due to the delays in getting OCs.
Developers who have finished redeveloping and handed over buildings to societies will also see some relief. This scheme eases the financial load on both societies and their members. For more details, you can check out MHADA’s official website. Milind Borikar, the Chief Officer of the Mumbai Board, is encouraging all housing societies with pending OCs to grab this chance before the scheme ends.