3 min readMumbaiFeb 3, 2025 10:53 PM IST
First published on: Feb 3, 2025 at 10:53 PM IST
Despite two extensions and a publicity blitz encouraging more people to apply, only 22,000 applicants have shown interest in the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) mass housing scheme, which offers 26,502 units in Navi Mumbai. The lacklustre response is attributed to the pricing of the homes, which range from Rs 25 lakh for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category to Rs 97 lakh for Low-Income Group (LIG).
Launched in October under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the ‘My Preferred CIDCO Home’ scheme aims to meet the growing demand for affordable housing in the state. The homes are located in areas such as Vashi, Taloja, Kharghar, Khandeshwar, Panvel and Ulwe, which are close to commercial hubs and railway stations.
CIDCO designed a lottery system where people apply online and deposit a refundable amount: Rs 75,000 for EWS, Rs 1.5 lakh for a 1 BHK, and Rs 2 lakh for a 2 BHK. However, despite expectations of strong interest, CIDCO had to extend the submission deadline twice due to low participation. With the final deadline of January 31 now over, only 22,000 people have paid the earnest money for the lottery for 26,000 homes.
Interestingly, housing lotteries in Mumbai conducted by agencies like the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) attract far better responses. For example, MHADA’s recent lottery in August 2024 saw over 100,000 applicants for 2,000 homes.
Experts believe the location and pricing of CIDCO’s projects may have contributed to the lukewarm response. The prices of homes range from Rs 25 lakh (EWS) to Rs 97 lakh (LIG), with carpet areas ranging from 322 to 540 sqft. EWS applicants must earn up to Rs 6 lakh annually, while LIG applicants have no income limit but cannot own a home in Navi Mumbai.
Rajesh Prajapati, founder and MD of Prajapati Constructions Ltd, sees the pricing structure as a key issue for the low response. He notes that CIDCO offers homes priced between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 48 lakh for EWS, despite the income limit of Rs 6 lakh annually. Prajapati believes for this income group, homes should be priced closer to Rs 20 lakh to be more affordable.
In Navi Mumbai, the ongoing development of the new international airport has brought about a surge in new housing options.
Dinesh Doshi, president of NAREDCO, Raigad, a real estate apex body, said, “CIDCO was originally established with the aim of providing open spaces, plots, and larger homes. However, it has increasingly shifted towards high-density vertical housing, similar to what we see in Mumbai, which has diminished its unique appeal. With several builders now offering quality homes and a wide range of options, homebuyers have plenty of choices. This could be a key reason why the response to CIDCO’s mass housing scheme hasn’t been as overwhelming.”
CIDCO, however, put up a brave front, stating that only genuine buyers have evinced interest in the project. “Filling out an application is free, and many people often submit multiple entries through different mediums. But when it comes to paying the EMD, only serious buyers follow through,” CIDCO PRO Priya Ratambe said, adding that this pattern is common in mass housing schemes. She added that a similar trend was witnessed during CIDCO’s 2014-15 mass housing lottery, which also drew a comparable number of confirmed buyers for around 15,000 homes.
The homes are located in areas such as Vashi, Taloja, Kharghar, Khandeshwar, Panvel and Ulwe, which are close to commercial hubs and railway stations. (Photo: cidco.gov) 
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