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The City and Industrial Development Corporation’s (CIDCO) flagship initiative, *My Preferred CIDCO Home*, is expected to undergo a major price revision after weeks of intense protests by applicants and pressure from political quarters. A meeting with Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister and urban development minister, Eknath Shinde, is set to decide the next course of action. CIDCO’s vice-chairperson and managing director, Vijay Singhal, said the corporation is “fully prepared to act” once the government issues a directive. “We are awaiting a meeting with the deputy chief minister, where the issue of housing prices will be discussed in detail. We expect a solution to emerge from that meeting,” said Singhal told Hindustan Times.Reiterating CIDCO’s stance on affordability, Singhal added that the corporation remains committed to inclusive housing. “We are committed to inclusive housing. Once the government gives its final nod, we will move swiftly to implement the revised pricing and conduct a lottery for it,” he said told Hindustan Times. CIDCO defended its pricing policy, arguing that infrastructure and location premiums dictated costs. “CIDCO has constructed homes priced as low as ₹25 lakh for the economically weaker sections,” Singhal said told Hindustan Times. “The price of each unit depends on its location and connectivity. Homes at Kharghar, near metro stations or commercial hubs, naturally cost more. Even our highest-priced homes are still below prevailing market rates in Navi Mumbai, and the quality is better than private complexes with open space, parking and other amenities,” he said told Hindustan Times.The scheme was rolled out in October 2023 under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), offering more than 26,000 homes across Navi Mumbai nodes such as Vashi, Bamandongari, Kharkopar, Kharghar, Taloja, Mansarovar, Khandeshwar, Panvel and Kalamboli. Flats were earmarked for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Lower Income Groups (LIG). However, in January 2025, CIDCO announced the pricing that shocked applicants: EWS homes were pegged between ₹25 lakh and ₹48 lakh, while LIG homes ranged from ₹34 lakh to ₹97 lakh. These figures excluded extra costs like floor-rise charges, registration fees and stamp duty, leaving buyers disillusioned.The backlash was immediate and severe. Out of the 1.5 lakh applicants who initially showed interest, only 21,000 ended up paying the booking fee. Nearly 8,000 flats were allotted in areas where CIDCO had not even made prior announcements, while over 4,000 homes remain unsold. Disappointed buyers accused CIDCO of breaking its affordability promise. Santosh Ahire, who was offered a unit in Kharkopar, said, “The pricing is not as per the Ready Reckoner rate. CIDCO is out to make a profit and burden the poor with loans,” told Hindustan Times. Another applicant, Rajaram P, said, “I had signed up for a house costing less than ₹50 lakh but was given a ₹74-lakh flat that will eventually cost ₹86 lakh. How does CIDCO decide on this?” told Hindustan Times.Legal voices also questioned the scheme’s intent. Advocate Asmita Tevar, allotted a home near the Vashi truck terminus, said, “If we could afford flats of up to ₹1 crore, why would we wait for years for a CIDCO scheme? Developers purchase land at a high price, but CIDCO got it for peanuts in the ’70s and has still priced its homes way above the affordable price of ₹40 lakh,” told Hindustan Times. Public anger spilled onto the streets, with citizens staging symbolic protests such as the ‘Injection Morcha’ and roadside kitchens outside CIDCO Bhavan. “If CIDCO won’t give us homes, we’ll live here,” said protestor Meena Jadhav told Hindustan Times.Political leaders soon joined the protestors, amplifying demands for price correction. Forest Minister Ganesh Naik voiced strong criticism, asking, “How can homes under PMAY be priced at ₹75 lakh,” told Hindustan Times. Similarly, MNS Navi Mumbai chief Gajanan Kale demanded a 30% reduction in costs, asserting, “This scheme was marketed as affordable, but it’s out of reach for the very people it claims to serve,” told Hindustan Times. Meanwhile, the debate has reached the state legislature, where comparisons with MHADA’s Konkan Board housing projects have further cornered CIDCO. MHADA flats in Ghansoli, Sanpada and Nerul, priced between ₹14 lakh and ₹30 lakh, remain far more affordable than CIDCO’s offerings in similar localities.

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