Maha considering regulation to take over pending SRA projects

The Maharashtra government is mulling to bring a regulation to take over incomplete housing projects of SRA (Slum Rehabilitation Authority) and handing them over to other agencies through tenders.
"After taking over such projects, they will be either handed over to Shivshahi Prakalp or allotted to other agencies for development through tender," Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said addressing a gathering in suburban Bhandup today.
Shivshahi Punarvasan Prakalp, a fully-owned company of the state government, looks after the planning and implementation of housing schemes under SRA including clearance and redevelopment of slums.
Raising concerns over "misuse" of SRA by some builders, the CM said, "Lot of builders have taken LoI (letter of intent) from tenants (for redevelopment of slums) and have displaced them. We have also come to know that after dis-housing them (tenants), in many cases, they (builders) are not paying rent to tenants since last 4 to 5 years.

"In some cases, people have not been given the keys of their houses in last 10 years," he said.
Fadnavis along with Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray also commissioned a 15-km long water tunnel from Gundavali in Thane to Bhandup Water Complex.

"We are of the view to fix a (time) limit..Or to give them (builders) a benchmark of three, four or five years to complete the project. If they (builders) fail to meet this deadline, their projects would be taken over by government and handed over to 'Shivshahi Prakalp' or someone else in a transparent manner or say by tendering," Fadnavis said.

In cases of redevelopment under the SRA, a developer secures consent of the tenants in the LOI.
"(However), trading of LoI hurts construction activity on ground as builders keep changing for a certain housing project. But, in this case (taking over of SRA project by government), new developing agency would not need to get a fresh LoI from the gullible buyers who are already fooled and duped," he said.
The CM asserted that his government was committed to enhance the efficiency of services rendered to citizens.
"Total 63 per cent of Mumbai's land is non-buildable, while the rest is bearing the entire load which is available to us to build something. Therefore, we are working for the projects which are not only efficient but sustainable," he added.