The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has decided to create a single window system for processing all applications that the housing board expects to receive from existing colonies in Mumbai under the new redevelopment rules. The Mumbai Board of MHADA on Monday released 500 copies of a booklet that will serve as an instruction manual for MHADA colonies wanting to go in for redevelopment under the revised DCR 33 (5). There are about 104 MHADA colonies all over Mumbai over a whopping 1,500 hectares of land. 5,000-odd buildings in these colonies can now benefit from the increased Floor Space Index. Earlier the FSI allowed for these colonies was 1 or 1.2. Under the old rule,MHADA had issued less than 400 No Objection Certificates for redevelopment. A volley of similar applications is expected since the FSI for such projects have been increased to 2.5 from the earlier 1 or 1.2 FSI. Satish Bhide,chief officer of the Mumbai Board states that there is a tremendous potential for redevelopment under the new rules. To ensure a single window system,the chief architect of MHADA will be the one person in charge of processing all applications. Housing colonies wanting to go in for redevelopment can submit their proposals and they need not follow it up. Any redevelopment process is ridden with complications such as consent of all members,choice of developer or consensus on the area. Once these are sorted out,all applications will be expedited as soon as possible, said Bhide. The booklet contains the step by step procedures for housing societies that want to avail of the increased FSI as well as about eight forms that applicants have filled out at various stages. All existing residents will get an increased area in the range of 300 sq ft to 750 sq ft while the developer will get his profit by constructing 50% to 75% of the rehabilitation areas as his sale component. Bhide added that MHADA has recently appointed architects who will prepare layouts for all MHADA colonies so that the increased FSI can be allotted on the gross plot area of all colonies.
