MSRDC plans to rope in pvt builders for township in Raigad district

“The agreement with MHADA has still not been signed. There have been several procedural delays,so we have decided to go ahead by ourselves by looking at including private builders,” a MSRDC official said. “It is still likely that MHADA will join us,but there won’t be a lottery system for distribution if we have a private builder.”

Four months ago,the MSRDC and MHADA,whose land base in Mumbai is shrinking,had decided to join forces for the township. The MSRDC was to provide the land and MHADA was to take care of construction and distribute the tenements through a lottery system.

“If MSRDC wants to go ahead with the project with or without MHADA,it is their decision because ultimately it is MSRDC’s land,” said Satish Gavai,vice-president of MHADA. “At this point,I can only say we are looking at the proposal and will decide whether to go ahead with the agreement.”

An expert on the housing sector,who did not wish to be named,said there would be little control on the rates of the houses if a private builder takes up the project.

“The chance of a poor or a middle class person getting a home is higher if MHADA does the project,” he said. However,MHADA needs to carefully look at the proposal and make sure that any such agreement is financially viable,the expert added.

“The consultants will do a feasibility study and then tell us what kind of revenue model it will be,what would be the construction cost,what is the value of land and so on,” the MSRDC official said,adding the feasibility study will take about a month-and-a-half. “We are at least expecting revenue higher than the value of the land.”

Depending on the success of the Lodhivali project,MSRDC will consider developing townships on its other land banks around the Panvel area,he added.