Mira-Bhayandar to try self-redevelopment in five old buildings as a pilot
A guidance camp on self-redevelopment was held in Mira Road at the initiative of MLA Narendra Mehta for housing societies in buildings over 30 years old.
Efforts have gathered pace in Mira-Bhayandar to offer self-redevelopment as an option to buildings more than 30 years old that are waiting to be redeveloped. A decision has been taken to promote self-redevelopment for this purpose.
Praveen Darekar, MLA and chairman of the self-redevelopment board, said it has been resolved to begin by demonstrating self-redevelopment on a pilot basis in five buildings in the city.
The decision comes against a background of several problems. Residents differ with builders, the process stalls, questions are raised over financial dealings, and residents have to live away from their homes for many years during redevelopment.
Mira-Bhayandar has seen large-scale urbanisation over the past several years, and many of its old buildings have now reached the point of redevelopment. But many projects stall because of the choice of builder, the terms of the agreement, permissions, accounting of money and other administrative procedures. In some places, complaints of fraud against residents in the name of redevelopment have also surfaced. This is why an effort is being made to give people the option of redeveloping their homes under their own control.
Against this background, a self-redevelopment guidance camp was held at SK Stone Dome in Mira Road East at the initiative of MLA Narendra Mehta. Office-bearers, members and residents of housing societies from across the city attended in large numbers. Mayor Dimple Mehta and MLA Narendra Mehta were also present.
In self-redevelopment, the responsibility for and control of redevelopment rests with the housing society concerned. This opens the way to run a project without a builder. With proper planning and expert guidance, residents may also get more space than the area of their present homes.
At the camp, experts and officials spoke on the self-redevelopment process, the government permissions and approvals required, financial planning, financial assistance available from banks, the construction process and legal aspects. Many questions from society office-bearers were answered, and the camp proved important in clearing up confusion about self-redevelopment.
It was said that self-redevelopment projects are under way in various areas, including more than 20 in Mumbai, four in Thane and one in Vasai-Virar. On the same lines, the necessary support will be given at the government level in Mira-Bhayandar too. If this pilot project of five buildings succeeds, the way may open for self-redevelopment in the city's other old buildings. The city's old housing societies are therefore now watching the experiment closely.
