Amnesty scheme rescues 300 industries from construction halts

State announces amnesty scheme for compounding charges

Vaibhav Parwat

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In a major relief to the industrial sector, the Maharashtra government has passed a resolution for the regulation of compounding charges. This comes after a long-pending issue with over 200-300 industries facing halt in construction activities due to the absence of such rules.

The Government Order was passed on March 15, 2024, which included personal meetings and representations made to the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, and other relevant authorities by the CMIA along with other industrial organisations including Massia, Team of Associations.

For years, the industrial sector in the state grappled with a major hurdle due to the lack of clear regulations and charges for addressing non-compliant building practices. This critical issue impacted a staggering 200-300 industries, forcing them to halt construction activities entirely. The industrial associations took decisive action through persistent dialogue and collaboration with the relevant Ministry and the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (CSMRDA). This paved the way for the government's recent announcement of the new scheme. CMIA senior executive committee members, Ajit Mulay, Sameer Mulay, president Dushyant Patil, vice president, Arpit Save, treasurer, Atharveshraj Nandawat took efforts.

Key highlights of the scheme:

Reduced compounding charges

Instead of the usual amount, building owners can pay 50 percent of the compounding charges in the first 6 months and 75 percent in the subsequent 6 months.

Amnesty scheme period

This amnesty scheme is being implemented from the date of government decision. After the specified period of 12 months, the compounding fee should be charged as per prevailing method.

Regularization of past constructions

Constructions with Gram Panchayat permission before the establishment of CSMRDA will be considered. However, other unauthorized constructions will be regularized upon payment of compounding fees.

Major hurdle removed

CMIA president Dushyant Patil, said that the absence of clear guidelines for compounding charges was a major hurdle for construction activities. This scheme will facilitate the regularization of construction in 313 villages under CSMRDA's jurisdiction, leading to regional growth and employment opportunities. It will also smoothen the process of bank loan approvals for construction projects.