Mumbaikars refuse to pay extra to regularise flats
Mumbai – Residents staying on private forest land have denied to shell out extra money to the government to regularize their flats.
After hearing a forest land appeal last week, the Supreme Court Chief Justice asked the court registry to hire a three-judge bench to hear the matter but the appointment is pending for 18 months.
Over 5 lakh people were affected because of the private forest land issue. Middle class residents in Nahur, Ghodbunder Road, Mulund, parts of Thane, Borivli to Goregaon and Mahul in Chembur.
Residents are afraid to pay extra amount as they wont be getting clear title to the land and under the existing laws transferring the ownership of the land will not be possible as there is no provision regarding that.
On the recommendations of the Central Empowered Committee set up by the Supreme Court, builders were charged Rs 6 to Rs 120 per square foot which has now increased by 50 percent taking the minimum amount to Rs 9 per square foot.
In 2012, the government collected around Rs 100 crore from the builders and residents after declaring the private forest land as barren. However, the government did not inform about it to the Union ministry of environment and forests. MoEF rejected the government proposal for regularizing the constructions saying that they cannot classify those lands as barren as it adjoins the national park. MoEF ordered the government to reclassify the land and change the NPV.
20 crores of forest land illegally encroached
Builders, Central Empowered Committee, clear title, Forest land, Government, MoEF, Mumbai, Ownership, Private forest land, Residents, Supreme Court, three-judge bench
