MHADA to screen builders for redevelopment works
Builders will be registered for redevelopment projects based on their track records, financial strength and project experience judged in various categories before assigning redevelopment projects by The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA).
The verdict has been made with several redevelopment projects of MHADA colonies being stuck for years due to developers deserting them midway or causing inordinate delays. A foolproof system has now been established by authorities to ensure that these contracts go to able and trustworthy builders.
R B Mitkar, who heads MHADA’s redevelopment cell, said “There are many cases where residents are suffering because the developer they chose was unable to complete projects due to reasons such as capital crunch or lack of expertise. Through this exercise, residents will have a ready list of developers who have been screened for their capability.” Whenever there is a redevelopment proposal, MHADA will call a short tender for the work and the lowest possible bidder will be awarded the contract on a turnkey basis.
He added, the authority has 56 layouts in the city, of which barely 15 per cent are under redeveloped, he added “Also, we will need a ready list of eligible developers as we now expect more old housing societies of MHADA to come to us with proposals.”
With a no-objection certificate from the housing authority, so far, residents of cooperative housing societies of MHADA were selecting developers for redevelopment of their buildings independently .
However, now the state government has incentivised residents to approach the housing authority with redevelopment proposals, according to the revised development control rules (DCR 33/5). Residents will get an additional 15 per cent carpet area, if redevelopment is undertaken through MHADA.
Two lists of registered developers will be maintained by the housing authority. The first list will be those entitled for construction contracts with a plot area of less than 20,000 sq m. These will be developers with a practice of at least 10 years in redevelopment work, who have completed contracts amounting to 50,000 sq m and with a minimum turnover of Rs 50 crore in the past five years.
Those eligible for construction contracts bigger than 20,000 sq m, that require permissions from the environment department, high-rise committee and so on, will fall in the second list. Together with a bare minimum experience of 10 years and having completed redevelopment works of 1 lakh sq m, developers in this list will have to have adequate experience of securing approvals from the environment department, coastal regulation zone clearance, and high-rise committee and so on.
Depending on the performance the developers can be empanelled for five years with a provision to grant a two-year extension.
Source: Indian Express
Coastal regulation zone clearance, Cooperative housing societies, environment department, high-rise committee, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority, R B Mitkar, Redevelopment, State government
