The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to present the much-awaited OC Amnesty Scheme draft before the Standing Committee tomorrow (June 24), with Leader of the House Ganesh Khankar expressing confidence that it will sail through.
The draft proposal, prepared by the Municipal Commissioner and dated 22 June 2026, seeks to grant Occupancy Certificates to buildings occupied before 17 November 2016. It follows the state Urban Development Department’s directive of December 2025 and aims to provide long-pending relief to homebuyers and societies facing hurdles in property transactions, loans, and redevelopment.
Key Provisions of the Draft
The scheme covers residential buildings (with predominant residential use), hospitals, and schools that have valid IOD and Commencement Certificate and were occupied before the cut-off date. For residential units, the benefit is available to those with carpet area up to 80 square metres (approximately 861 sq ft).
Major concessions include a 50% discount on regularization fees, balcony/otla penalties, and other charges. A time-bound penalty waiver has also been proposed for regularizing areas previously shown as free of FSI — zero penalty if applied in the first six months and 50% penalty if applied between six and twelve months.
Significantly, individual flat owners can now apply directly through a licensed surveyor. Their applications will be processed independently, with common area issues de-linked. Pending setback or DP road land transfers will also not block OC issuance; BMC will process the certificate and pursue land-related compliances separately.
“Priority to Up to 800 sq ft Homes”
BMC Leader of the House Ganesh Khankar said the civic body’s focus is on delivering relief to residents. “Our aim is to give relief to the residents and priority is up to 800 sq ft homes. The draft will be presented in the standing committee tomorrow (June 24) and shall sail through,” he said.
Concerns Over Implementation
While welcoming the intent, legal expert Adv Vivekanand Gupta pointed out practical difficulties in the draft. He said that while the proposal contains several positive elements, uploading documents on the Auto-DCR portal could prove cumbersome for common citizens.
“Instead of forcing people to upload documents online, officials in every ward of BMC in the city should have been made to sit and help take applications and facilitate the OC process,” Adv Gupta said, adding that ground-level facilitation would make the scheme more accessible and effective.
Limitations Remain
The current draft has some clear limitations. It does not cover general commercial buildings (only schools and hospitals qualify under non-residential). Units larger than 80 sq.m carpet area are excluded. The scheme applies only to authorised constructions and does not regularise unauthorised buildings. Broader demands — removal of the size cap and inclusion of all commercial properties — remain pending with the state government for revised guidelines.
Next Steps
The draft will be placed before the BMC Standing Committee on June 24. Once approved, it will go to the Municipal Corporation for final clearance. After notification, BMC will activate a dedicated “OC Amnesty Scheme” tab on the Auto-DCR portal for online applications.
Applications received during the validity period will be processed even after the scheme formally ends. BMC has clarified that the scheme does not absolve original developers of their legal responsibilities for other violations.
The proposed amnesty is expected to benefit thousands of old residential buildings across Mumbai, particularly smaller homes that have long struggled without Occupancy Certificates. However, the success of the scheme will largely depend on how effectively BMC implements the process on the ground and addresses the practical concerns raised by citizens and experts.
