In a major relief to lakhs of Mumbaikars, more than 25,000 buildings in the metropolis, that have long been denied Occupation Certificates (OCs), will soon be regularised under a new government policy, Maharashtra Guardian Minister for Mumbai Suburbs Ashish Shelar announced on Thursday. The move, which comes ahead of the upcoming civic polls, aims to provide legal recognition to the structures that have been occupied for years, but were still considered “unauthorised”, news agency PTI reported.
Starting October 2, the Urban Development Department will roll out a simplified, transparent policy to grant OCs to the residents. Under this policy, buildings with withheld OCs due to technical lapses, floor space discrepancies, setback violations, or regulatory changes will be eligible for regularisation. In addition to this, if developers fail to meet obligations, like handing over reserved flats or spaces, residents will not face penalties while obtaining OCs.
Shelar called the move “pro-people” and urged the residents to take advantage of this opportunity from October 2 onwards. Residents can apply for OCs online without any extra charges. “They can apply individually or jointly for part-OC. No penalty will be levied if the application is made within the first six months. However, premiums will apply in cases involving excess FSI usage,” he added.
The Amnesty Scheme was announced by the Mumbai suburban guardian minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashish Shelar after he held a joint meeting with his party’s MLAs and officials from BMC, Urban Development Department (UDD), Revenue Department and Cooperation Department, on Thursday. The move is seen as a significant one, especially in light of the civic body elections expected to be held between January and February next year.
In Thursday’s meeting, some recommendations by a group of experts and elected representatives under former North Mumbai MP Gopal Shetty, called OC Study Group, formed in the aftermath of the Willingdon View case, were accepted. Key among them were maintaining the original building line and height aligned with the Commencement Certificate (CC), preserving open spaces, ensuring parking areas are not compromised and allowing part OCs and deemed OCs (deemed OC is a provisional certificate issued when the formal OC is delayed due to administrative or technical issues though the building is ready to be occupied).