The Maharashtra Government is planning to make it compulsory for real estate companies to reserve 20 per cent of the area in a plot of more than 2,000 sq. metres for low cost housing. The rule will also come into play while developing large housing colonies.
However, the rule would only be applicable for housing properties and projects, being developed in cities and towns managed by municipal corporation and councils.
Making the announcement at a press conference on Monday, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr Prithviraj Chavan, said that the State Government is yet to take a final policy decision on the matter. Meanwhile, it has decided to call for public opinions under Section 37 (1) of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act. Only after considering all the opinions and views, a final decision would be taken, he said.
Mr Chavan said that the reserved flats would be bought from the developers by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority, which will then be resold to the families falling in the category of lower income group.
In a layout plots of more than 2,000 sq m, about 30-50 sq m would be have to reserved, while in large housing society of more than 2,000 sq m, 20 per cent of the flats with sizes ranging from 27.88 sq m to 45 sq m would have reserved, Mr Chavan said.
Slums redevelopment
In a separate development regarding housing industry, the Maharashtra Cabinet has decided to allow redevelopment of pre-1995 slums, even if the present slum dwellers have been occupying the slum tenement after 1995.
Mr Chavan said that a number of pre-1995 slum redevelopment projects have been stalled, as the current rule only allows slums redevelopment, only if the owners of slum tenement are residing there before 1995. Slum tenements also change many hands, therefore, the new rule will allow transfer of slum tenement, provided the final beneficiary pays a transfer fee, he said.
In Maharashtra more than 30 per cent of the population stays in slums, while in Mumbai about 60 per cent of the population consist of slum dwellers.