The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has decided to create a single window system for processing all applications that the housing board expects to receive from existing colonies in Mumbai under the new redevelopment rules.

The Mumbai Board of MHADA on Monday released 500 copies of a booklet that will serve as an instruction manual for MHADA colonies wanting to go in for redevelopment under the revised DCR 33 (5).

There are about 104 MHADA colonies all over Mumbai over a whopping 1,500 hectares of land. 5,000-odd buildings in these colonies can now benefit from the increased Floor Space Index. Earlier the FSI allowed for these colonies was 1 or 1.2. Under the old rule, MHADA had issued less than 400 No Objection Certificates for redevelopment. A volley of similar applications is expected since the FSI for such projects have been increased to 2.5 from the earlier 1 or 1.2 FSI.

Satish Bhide, chief officer of the Mumbai Board states that there is a tremendous potential for redevelopment under the new rules. “To ensure a single window system, the chief architect of MHADA will be the one person in charge of processing all applications. Housing colonies wanting to go in for redevelopment can submit their proposals and they need not follow it up. Any redevelopment process is ridden with complications such as consent of all members, choice of developer or consensus on the area.  Once these are sorted out, all applications will be expedited as soon as possible,” said Bhide.

... contd.