Housing board moots extra area at lower cost

Tenants of dilapidated cessed buildings situated in South Mumbai should be allowed to buy up to 200 square feet of extra space at ‘construction cost’ from the developer redeveloping their building. 

This is one of the suggestions of the state government constituted a committee on housing. Currently, a tenant is entitled to get 300 sq ft house following redevelopment.  If accepted the new rule may reduce the differences between tenants and developers and will also allow tenants with bigger families to stay together.  

There are more than 14,000 such dilapidated cessed buildings located in South Mumbai. These buildings pay a cess to MHADA for their repair. Many projects in the area are stuck either because of the tenants’ refusal to vacate their houses or when the developer delays a certain project.  

While the suggestion sounds good, architects who plan the building say that the tenant should at the time of planning of the building inform the developer about the extra space. 

“While giving extra space at construction cost wouldn’t be feasible for a developer but it can bring in liquid at initial stage to the developer, which will be of help to him in carrying out construction,” said Arqam Shaikh, of Arc associates.