MHADA to revoke permissions of delayed redevelopment of cessed buildings

MLA Amin Patel seeks ordinance to give more powers to MHADA to take over delayed projects

@hepzia

Mumbai: In the aftermath of the collapse of a cessed dilapidated building at Nagpada that killed two people on August 27, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) stated that they would try to cancel the redevelopment permissions issued to the developer. Chairperson of the Mumbai Building Repair and Reconstruction Board of MHADA, Vinod Ghosalkar told thenews21 that MHADA would intervene, act upon and may even acquire such building projects where redevelopment had been stalled by developers for long.  

There are about 14,000 cessed buildings in Mumbai in various stages of repair and redevelopment with about a thousand buildings built about hundred years ago. 

“I have cases with me where projects are not completed despite developers being granted permission as early as 2001. There are about 50-odd cases of developers leaving projects incomplete while another 100-odd cases concern developers who haven’t even started their work. Thanks to a recent cabinet decision awaiting ratification from the legislative assembly, MHADA would be able to either revoke such redevelopment permissions to developers or even acquire the land and take over the entire redevelopment project itself,” Ghosalkar stated.

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Congress member of the legislative assembly (MLA) Amin Patel, who was part of a team of eight MLA’s that submitted a report on dilapidated buildings told thenews21 that he will push for an ordinance to give more powers to MHADA to help it play a more proactive role in many delayed projects.  

A part of Mishra building in Nagpada collapsed on August 27 killing two including a 12-year-old girl staying in a nearby chawl, on which the building collapsed. The building was delayed despite being granted redevelopment permissions six years back as the developer had obtained a court stay order. 

“The issue of dilapidated, cessed buildings is a recurring problem every monsoon and there is no point waiting. New rules would pin responsibility on MHADA to repair cessed buildings till the redevelopment process is completed. So far, MHADA would shirk repairs once the redevelopment permissions were granted, as it happened in this case. Unless MHADA takes a firm, strong stand, the condition of old, cessed buildings will not improve in Mumbai, said Patel.