Soon,people with more money will be able to apply for MHADA flats

With costs of houses rising,authority decides to make upward revision in income criteria.

MHADA has decided to tweak criteria to allow people with higher incomes to apply for its annual lottery of affordable houses. The rising cost of houses sold by the board has prompted the change,which may now happen every three years.

A final decision would be taken at a meeting of the authority,but chief executive Satish Gavai said the income criteria for the economically weak section would be revised to below-Rs 12,000 or -Rs 15,000,while those earning up to Rs 30,000 would make the lower-income group. The new criteria for the middle-income group may be up to Rs 60,000 or Rs 65,000,and beyond that for the higher-income group.

MHADA has applied rise in consumer price index to the existing criteria to arrive at the new.

Story continues below this ad

The existing criteria are outdated. For example,the upper income limit for the economically weak is Rs 8,000. Nobody in Mumbai earns below Rs 8,000. Those exceeding the limit even by a few thousand rupees have to apply in the next income category,making houses unaffordable for them, Gavai said.

A few lottery winners this year could find it tough getting loans because the income criteria are too low and the prices of flats high, he said,adding that lower income criteria also encouraged applicants to fudge information.

This year,1,244 flats were sold in the annual MHADA lottery on May 31. The cost ranged from Rs 6.45 lakh for a 180-square-foot flat for the economically weak to Rs 75.22 lakh for a 476.74-square-foot flat for those with higher incomes.

The last time MHADA revised the criteria was in 2007,putting people earning Rs 8,000-Rs 20,000 in the lower-income group,those earning Rs 20,000-Rs 40,000 in the middle-income group,those beyond in higher-income group.

manasi.phadke@expressindia.com

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Loading Taboola...

Police personnel seen to control the situation during a massive protest over the statehood demand and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, in Leh on Wednesday. (ANI Video Grab)

CBI initiates preliminary inquiry against Sonam Wangchuk in ‘FCRA violation’

India2 hr ago

The CBI has launched a preliminary inquiry into alleged violations of the FCRA against climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his institution, HIAL. The MHA filed a complaint and a CBI team visited Wangchuk, who had earlier called for peaceful protests for Ladakh's statehood. The MHA also accused politically motivated individuals of inciting violence during the ongoing talks.

View all shorts

Live Blog