Mhada stakes claim to share of mill lands

MUMBAI: After the BMC, it is now the turn of the state housing board stake its claim to a share of the city''s mill lands.
The Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (Mhada) recently asked the state government to reconsider provisions in the development rules which permit city mill- owners to keep most their lands.
The old mill policy carved up surplus mill land into three, to be shared between the owner, Mhada low-income housing) and the BMC open spaces).But recent amendments to the law (which some term loopholes) allow owners to apply the onethird rule only to open land— areas with no buildings or structures.
Since such spaces are just a fraction of the total mill area—-over 500 acres in prime areas of Mumbai —both the BMC and Mhada stand to lose a large amount of valuable land. The BMC has already up a committee comprising officials and architects to look into the mill land sale proposals. This committee is now negotiating with the National Textile Corporation (NTC) more land for open spaces. "But the biggest loss is for Mhada,'''' says Mhada vice-president PS Madan,who has written a letter to the state government asking a rethink on the concerned provisions taking into account the need for public housing. For example, if NTC chose to take advantage this clause, as it has suggested, then Mhada would only get 10 hectares instead of 25 hectares. Moreover, another amendment Section 58 of the development control rules, which governs mill land development, has ensured that private mill land will not come to Mhada at all.
This provision allows mill- owners to commercially develop their land without surrendering any of it to the city, if redevelopment is within the existing built-up area. Many private mill-owners have opted to develop their properties under this clause.
Considering the acute shortage of low and middle-income housing in the city—over 50 per cent of people live in slums— Mr Madan feels the extra land could help increase vital housing stock. "Another 5,000 to 10,000 homes could be built, depending on income-level and size,'''' he says. He also wants to use the land for transit camps, to house residents of old, dilapidated buildings while their homes are being repaired. While most of these 16,000-plus buildings are located in the island city, most transit camps are in the suburbs so residents are reluctant to move.
Mhada is also asking for greater say in the selection of land it will be given, fearing it will be fobbed off with ''the worst of the lands''. "The owners will naturally want to keep the best areas but we should be involved in the process,'''' says Mr Madan. Officials say that while the BMC has powers to press for what it wants, Mhada has no say in what is happening.
Incidentally, neither Mhada nor the city planning authority were consulted when the rules were amended. Mhada has also questioned a recent circular stating that the housing board must pay service charges on the development rights given to the mill- owner in compensation for giving up his land. The charge is currently Rs 100 per square foot but could be increased at any time. "Since the owner is getting the transfer of development rights, he should pay the service charge,'''' says Mr Madan. The letter also asks for guidelines to be issued on the mechanics of sharing its portion of mill land with the mill workers. The rules require Mhada to give 50 per cent of its share to mill workers.
Considering the acute shortage of low- and middle-income housing in the city a top Mhada official said the extra mill land could increase vital housing stock.