Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a new policy to regularise over two lakh illegal houses in the state at the Legislative Assembly in Mumbai on Friday.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a new policy to regularise over two lakh illegal houses in the state at the Legislative Assembly in Mumbai on Friday. The state government had appointed a committee to decide about the illegal constructions in Pimpri-Chinchwad and decided to extend their recommendations to all across the state. The decision is expected to provide relief to around two lakh illegal buildings, primarily in the Thane and Palghar districts.
While the state government has decided to regularise all illegal constructions in urban areas across the state by imposing a one-time penalty, the criminal proceedings on the developers will continue, said Mr Fadnavis.
The Cabinet accepted the suggestions given by a committee that was formed to look into the illegal constructions, after this a law would be made in this regard in the Budget Session.
Subject to certain conditions, constructions that are carried out beyond permission will get relief from this decision. The cut-off date for the regularisation of illegal constructions is December 31, 2015. These constructions have to apply to the concerned planning authority within the three months from the date of notification issued in this regard. Under the policy, all except the construction that is on prohibited land can be regularised.
Mr Fadnavis said that though the government is regularising structures for the benefit of the consumers who sometimes are cheated by the builders, it won’t mean that criminal proceedings that are currently pending against the builders will be withdrawn.
“The decision has been taken in the interest of the flat buyers. If the government takes action against illegal structures, it would hurt the common man. Criminal proceedings against the concerned builders will continue even after the structure gets regularised,” said Mr Fadnavis.
He also clarified that all illegal constructions will be cross-checked through Google satellite images and after confirming their existence, the regularisation proceedings will be initiated.
“The state government will also make amendments in the law to take stricter action against illegal constructions henceforth,” said the CM. In case of illegal construction on plots under the ‘no development’ zone, ‘industrial’ zone, ‘commercial zone’, constructions will have to be first reserved as being in ‘residential zone’ before being regularised and extra penalty will be slapped for the process.
The state government had appointed a committee under BMC municipal commissioner in June 2014 to frame a policy to regularise all illegal structures that had come up in urban areas on government or semi-government plots. The committee submitted a report to the government in March 2015 recommending that all unauthorised structures can be regularised through penalty.
