Maharashtra minister directs action against developers not handing over MHADA homes
NEW DELHI: Maharashtra skill development, employment, entrepreneurship and innovation minister and co-guardian minister of Mumbai suburban Mangal Prabhat Lodha has directed authorities to take strict action against developers who fail to hand over homes reserved for MHADA under statutory provisions.
He was speaking at the computerised lottery draw organised by the Mumbai Housing and Area Development Board of MHADA for the sale of 2,640 homes across various housing schemes.
Lodha said developers availing additional development rights are legally required to hand over MHADA’s reserved housing stock. However, in several cases, these homes have not been transferred for years, affecting eligible beneficiaries seeking affordable housing.
He directed officials not to restrict action to filing FIRs, but to initiate strict legal proceedings against defaulting developers.
“If necessary, send them to jail. Strict action against a few violators will act as a strong deterrent and ensure greater compliance, making at least 1,000 additional MHADA homes available for allotment at the earliest,” Lodha said.
He also proposed setting up advisory committees within MHADA on the lines of citizen advisory committees introduced in municipal wards.
Lodha said these committees should include local public representatives, housing experts, architects, representatives of non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders. He said the committees would improve communication between citizens and MHADA, increase public participation and help resolve local issues faster.
Minister of state for housing Pankaj Bhoyar said the lottery for 2,640 homes received 75,127 applications, averaging 28.54 applications per home.
He said the response reflects public confidence in MHADA’s fully computerised and human intervention-free lottery system.
MHADA vice-president and chief executive officer Sanjeev Jaiswal said MHADA’s regional boards have conducted nearly 25 lotteries over the last three years, making about 50,000 homes available to citizens.
He said the government has set a target of constructing 30 lakh homes in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region under the Growth Hub initiative. Of this, 22 lakh homes will be developed through the Slum Rehabilitation Authority, while eight lakh homes will be constructed by MHADA and other agencies.
Jaiswal said MHADA alone has taken up a target of developing more than 7.5 lakh homes.
He said group redevelopment projects covering 925 acres in Mumbai aim to rehabilitate about 65,000 residents over the next seven years. These projects are expected to generate about 30,000 homes for MHADA and over one lakh homes for developers.
Jaiswal said the housing department is examining policy changes under the 20% inclusive housing scheme.
He added that MHADA is developing a dedicated rental housing portal to address Mumbai’s need for rental accommodation.
Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) Phase-I, nearly four lakh homes have been constructed in urban Maharashtra, while about six lakh beneficiaries have received support under the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme.
Under PMAY-U 2.0, nearly two lakh homes have been approved under the beneficiary-led construction and affordable housing in partnership components.
Jaiswal said the next Mumbai Board lottery for sale of homes is expected to be announced in January-February 2027.
This content is sourced from realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com and is shared for informational purposes only.
