NAINA projects stuck due to lack of developmental rules, clarity

Real estate projects within 25 km radius of Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) have hit a road block due to delay in framing developmental rules by the City and Industrial Development Corporation Ltd. (CIDCO) which is the planning agency of the region.

CIDCO has been appointed as planning agency for 270 villages from Pen, Panvel, Uran, Khalapur, Karjat talukas in Raigad district falling under 25 km radius of the project after the government had issued a circular for NAINA on January 10, 2012.

The state government had ordered the transfer of control from gram panchayats of these villages to CIDCO.

As per the government circular, the planning agency has authority to approve development work, issue no objection certificate, prepare proposal for development work and rules to regulate development projects in the said areas.

With this, developers are required to get no objection certificate from CIDCO for the construction work in the designated areas.

Taking advantage of the delay in drafting rules governing development works in the NAINA region by CIDCO, land mafia has undertaken large scale unauthorized constructions in the area.

Besides this, rise in real estate prices there resulting from plans for large scale housing projects being launched in NAINA has also prompted land sharks to take up such constructions.

The planning authority has received complaints about 300 illegal constructions taken up by them under the NAINA.

Acting on the complaints, CIDCO issued noticed asking the unauthorized structures to submit the document confirming ownership of the plot, NA certificate, approval letter for construction work. Despite CIDCO notice, land sharks continue to carry out illegal construction in area.

The nodal agency has deployed two flying squads in the area to keep a vigil on unauthorized constructions.  The planning agency will increase the number of monitoring team in future, said sources in CIDCO.

There have been reports of vehicles of flying squads visiting the NAINA area to conduct survey of illegal constructions being attacked by some unscrupulous elements.

Said Afsar Imam, a developer, “There are hundreds of real estate projects planned in NAINA area. The construction projects have been delayed in the absence of policy for development works in the region.”

He added, “This is giving a free hand to the land mafia that is operating at will.”

Said CIDCO Public Relations Officer Mohan Ninawe, “The board of directors of CIDCO has approved a proposal pertaining to development rules in NAINA area. The proposal has been sent to the state government for approval.”

CIDCO wants total control

Agreeing that issuing permissions for development in NAINA region has come to a standstill, CIDCO joint managing director V. Radha said, “The problem is that while CIDCO has been made the SPA for the region, it also falls under the jurisdiction of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). There is also the issue of collector permission to declare the land as Non-Agricultural (NA).”

Informed Radha, “We want the complete jurisdiction to be under CIDCO, so that there are no dual authorities in the region and hence no confusion. We also want the NA permissions issue to be resolved so that there are no developmental issues later on.”