Mumbai's low-cost housing project a non-starter

Tall claims, but no delivery. It has been five years since the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI-CREDAI) entered into a pact with the state government for an ambitious project of building five lakh low-cost houses in Mumbai, but the project has been a non-starter.

Now, the builders' body is seeking an extension for the pact to achieve the goal, which at the time of inking the deal in 2010 was supported by more than 500 builders without an extension, the agreement will end this month. The target was to provide affordable homes of 250-400 sq ft and cost Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh to middleand lower-income groups living in the metropolis and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The memorandum of understating (MoU) was signed in the presence of then chief minister Ashok ChavanRs In lieu of these affordable houses, developers were expecting speedy clearances for all related activities of the project. But, according to the developers' body, the plan has remained on paper without any major execution because of lack of approvals.

"The intent was serious, but unfortunately approvals were not as smooth as we thought they would be for these affordable housing projectsRs We are confident that the new government will relook at this proposal and now approvals will be faster," said Dharmesh Jain, president-elect of the associationRs "MCHI is keen on playing a major role in the government's dream of offering homes for all."

State housing minister Prakash Mehta and predecessor Sachin Ahir couldn't be contacted for commentRs These five lakh homes were to be constructed under state government programmes like the rental housing project by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and a joint venture of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority.

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MCHI-THANE has always been very clear that fine housing complexes and shopping malls cannot stand in isolation. A great City is the sum total of great buildings, great infrastructure and great people. MCHI has been committed to growth of the real estate sector and is credited with the harmonious growth and rise in quality and standards of construction in Thane City in the past decade.

Its aim as an Association of Developers has been to seek rational rules and regulations which are uniformly applied across the board as this will to a great extent result in speedy construction, cost reduction, fair pricing and a push for better quality standards at par with the developed world, with a high level of transparency.