Yes believe or not, close to a lakh structures in the city of Mumbai do not have an Occupation Certificate (OC). This is what housing experts from the real estate industry say.
By Varun Singh
Mumbai has over two lakh structures in the city. Of which real estate experts claim that around 50 per cent do not have an Occupation Certificate (OC).
Housing expert, Adv Sanjay Chaturvedi, says, “Mumbai city has around 2.35 lakh structures. This includes everything commercial as well as residential. However, the truth is that close to 50 per cent of them do not have an OC.”
According to Chaturvedi, this phenomenon has been in vogue since the 1990’s and continued for a long time. “The value of a flat in a building without an OC is nothing in real sense,” says Chaturvedi.
Even Adv Vinod Sampat, an expert in housing matters, reiterates the figures. “He says even if I have to take conservative figure it would be close to 40 per cent of the entire structures in Mumbai city that do not have an OC.”
Sampat says, why much is not done because, even BMC charges a higher property tax and high water charges to residents of such structures.
Every building that is constructed in the city needs to pass several stages of permissions, and OC is the final stage. It is post OC, home buyers are allowed to occupy their flats.
In July, action was ordered against residents, occupying flats in a building, which hadn’t received an Occupation Certificate. MahaRERA had ordered Municipal Corporation to initiate action against builder and residents.
Recently the BMC took strict action against structural violations in the city. On Wednesday the BMC went ahead with demolition of unauthorised structures in a bungalow belonging to actor Kangana Ranaut.
According to experts, an option to tackle the issue is to have an amnesty scheme for such structures. Ramesh Prabhu, Chairman, Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association, says, “The BMC can take action against residents like issuing eviction notices to them.”
Prabhu says, the government should come up with an amnesty scheme allowing such buildings to get an OC under the scheme.
A detailed message sent to Municipal Commissioner I S Chahal, got us no response.
Also Read: Demolition At Kangana’s Office An Illegal Act: Lawyers
