The buying and selling of the flats in buildings standing on notified private forest lands in Mumbai and Thane is going on uninterruptedly.
The buying and selling of the flats in buildings standing on notified private forest lands in Mumbai and Thane is going on uninterruptedly.
The fate of nearly 5 lakh families in 15,000 buildings with several thousand apartments in Borivli, Mulund, Nahur and Thane is hanging in balance for the past few years as the case is being heard in the Supreme Court.
Though the lower court has suggested collecting a Net Present Value (NPV) as compensation from the residents via media, the deals of the flats in the area is still illegal. Experts say it could lead to contempt of court and land the persons concerned in jail. But that has not affected the transactions involving these flats.
When DNA, posing as a prospective buyer, contacted a broker from Thane, he assured that all legal formalities can be completed without any hassles.
“The Court has regularised the properties by charging compensation from the societies on the forest land. The builders have paid the amount and therefore the deals on the land are not illegal,” he insisted, adding that the officers need to be pleased ‘under the table’ to smoothen the registration process.
Another broker said that all banks finance the deals. “The rates in these buildings are low because they are 10 to 15 years old, not because they are on forest land,” he said.
Divisional district registrar from Thane division, Manohar Garve, said they allow the registration of those flats, which have no objection certificates from the forest department. “Other flats cannot be registered and would be illegal if done,” he said.
Prakash Padikkal, president, Hillside Residents Welfare Association, the petitioner in the case, said, “The buyers are at risk in such deals as this may lead to contempt of court. We have deposited Rs60 crore towards the compensation to the forest authorities, but the final decision is yet to come.”
An official from Forest Department in Mantralaya said that NPV ranged between Rs4.38 lakh and Rs10.43 lakh per hectare. “The option will be compensating the loss of forest land by planting trees elsewhere in the state as per the Forest Conservation Act,” he said.
The official said his department is about to submit an affidavit comprising entire data about the properties on forest land. He also added that court verdict will be applicable to over 100 such plots across the state.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}