Navi Mumbai International Airport project back on track

The Navi Mumbai International Airport has been conceptualised as the eighth largest in the world, spread over an area of 1160 hectares to handle 60 million passengers a year and at an estimated cost of Rs 14,500 crore.

Mumbai's dreams of becoming the first city in the world to boast of two airports never took off as the city developer CIDCO was unable to acquire land from farmers. But this all is set to change, reports CNBC-TV18’s Alexander Mathew. According to CIDCO, the Navi Mumbai International Airport Project has four good bids now.

“We have Vinci, Zurich airport, then GVK, GMR. So all these four are pretty good guys and their offers are now getting technically examined. By mid-April we should know who all qualify. After that they have to submit their RFP --the proposal, the bid which they are making, which is a percentage of gross revenue to be given to CIDCO.

We will be giving them three-four months time to make that offer. So my expectation is that we should be able to finalise the partner by December-end,” said Sanjay Bhatia, Vice-Chairman & MD, CIDCO. The development of Mumbai's second airport is likely to go up by Rs 550 cr as Budget 2015 removed the service tax exemption on the construction of greenfield airports. Neverthless, CIDCO is moving ahead, and has begun issuing tenders for civil work at the site of the proposed airport. This pre-development work is estimated to cost around Rs 2,400 crore, and is likely to begin after monsoons this year.

So what does this mean for residential prices in the vicinity of the upcoming airport? Prices in areas like Panvel, Belapur, Kharghar and Ulwe surged around four years back when the project was announced. In the case of Kharghar, prices have risen from Rs 3,000 a square foot to around Rs 9,000 now. In Panvel, they have risen from below Rs 3,000 a square foot to around Rs 7,000. Real estate consultant CBRE believes prices won't escalate that much once construction of the airport starts. One reason being the airport has already been factored into the current pric

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis gives nod to MSRDC projects

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has given an in-principle approval to several big-ticket projects of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

Some of these projects are :

Worli-Haji Ali Sea Link

Augmentation of Mumbai-Pune Expressway

Bridges over Thane and Vashi creeks

Freeway on Ghodbunder Road

Smart Cities along Mumbai-Pune Expressway

Inland passenger water transport, etc. Apart from this, an approval has also been given for setting up of MSRDC India International, an international arm of the agency to take up projects for implementation in foreign countries.

MSRDC officials made a presentation to the chief minister detailing about the projects that were pending for clearance and further implementation for the last several years due to various reasons, including lack of funds with the corporation.

"Assurance has been given by the CM on speedy formation of cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure and thereafter quick clearances to the projects of the MSRDC," said Eknath Shinde, chairman of MSRDC

MMRDA has decided to transform all upcoming commercial hubs into smart cities

To woo more investors and get premium pricing for land, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to transform all upcoming commercial hubs into smart cities.

A smart city will have public Wi-Fi, integrated CCTV camera network, smart parking system, solar lighting apps to find utilities, among other things. 

For this, the MMRDA has identified 

Panvel, 

Kalyan, 

Alibaug-Pen, 

Bhiwandi and 

Vasai-Virar, 

which will be connected to Navi Mumbai International airport through the proposed Virar-Alibaug multimodal corridor (VAMC).

“To strengthen the brand value of commercial hubs, we need to add as many components as possible. We want the hubs to be equipped with advanced facilities before they are made operational,” said UPS Madan, MMRDA commissioner.

Last month, a think tank from South Korea came up with a proposal to create these centres along the VAMC.

The MMRDA has already undertaken the Smart BKC project, where the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) is set to be developed as a smart city by next year.

The smart city project is being implemented on build-operate- transfer (BOT) mode. The MMRDA issued tenders for the BKC project in October, but the authority will have to start afresh as the state government has suggested a few changes.

“The information technology department wants the number of people working on the project to be reduced. So we are going to invite fresh tenders,” Madan said.

While the Wadala Truck Terminus (WTT) area is also set to be developed as a smart city, the MMRDA is not keen about going ahead with the project in the Oshiwara district centre, as it involves acquisition of a large chunk of private land.

There could, however, be one more commercial hub in Kanjurmarg.

Mumbai Urban Transport Project phase 3 ready to roll after Centre's nod

The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation, staring at an empty order-book after some of its big projects entered the business-end of things this year, have got a new lease of life. Last week, railway minister Suresh Prabhu announced that after his meeting with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis phase 3 of the Mumbai UrbanTransport Project (MUTP) was now on. According to officials, the projects hold a lot of promise for the harried Mumbaikar. dna gives a lowdown on some of the major works:

The Virar-Vasai-Diva-Panvel line:
Estimated to cost Rs 6,120 crores as per 2011 prices, the work to create a whole new 70-odd kilometre suburban line would now cost anything between Rs 8,000-10,000 crore. "It has the potential to create a new urban set-up in the Bhiwandi, Kharbao, Kalamboli, Diva, Panvel area. If work begins now, it could be a reality over the next decade," said a senior railway official.
The financing of the project has to be sorted out though. While the railways wants the state government to get the local civic bodies along the rail route to levy taxes, the state wants it to be done the traditional way. However, with chartered accountant-banker Suresh Prabhu as railway minister, city-based officials believe a solution on the finance methodology might be in sight.

Panvel-Karjat line:
It could be a game-changer for the people living in the vicinity of Karjat and more importantly for the railways in terms of money saved. The route, currently a single line used by trains like the Pune-Ernakulam and Pune-Bhusawal Express, many of them halting at Chikhale just to replenish their diesel stocks, can cut the distance between CST and Karjat from 100 kilometres to just 77 kilometres.
The line currently starts from Panvel, moves to Chikhale, then to Mohape, onwards to Chowk and then Karjat. It is used by trains like the Pune-Ernakulam and Pune-Bhusawal Express, many of them halting at Chikhale just to replenish their diesel stocks. The challenges of making it suburban-ready includes tough terrain and the construction of tunnels.
According to officials, it is now or never for the project. While a Comprehensive Transport Study commissioned by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in 2011 put the cost of the project at Rs638 crore, the state government in July 2014 pegged it at Rs 1,473 crore, a rise of 130% in the last one decade.

Airoli-Kalwa connector:
The Airoli-Kalwa connector, an elevated rail line about 4km in length, will allow more people to reach Navi Mumbai by by-passing the already-congested Thane station. "Currently, people have to come to Thane and then take the Thane-Vashi route — also called transharbour — to get to Navi Mumbai. The longer option is to go to Kurla and then opt for the conventional harbour line all the way to Panvel," said the official.
The upside for the project is that it does not require much land acquisition as the elevated bridge will run on railway land parcel available as part of the Kalwa car shed. Moreover, officials said the cost of the project would be in the range of Rs 300-400 crore, something that the cash-strapped railways could manage.

Cidco - Action Plan : 2015

(1) Affordable Housing for economically weaker sections of society

Action Plan to construct 10,000 EWS / LIG houses every year for the next 3 years in order to

meet the burgeoning need for affordable houses.

(2) Social Amenities :’

Action Plan’ for development of

52 – Schools, 

4 – Professional Colleges, 

1 – Degree College,

32 – Hospitals, 

135 – Religious / Spiritual Centres, 

30 – Senior Citizen Facility Centres

286 – Social Welfare Centres including Hostels, Community Centres etc.

Above Social Amenities in various nodes of CIDCO are planned to be developed within

next 3 years.

(3) Public Utilities : MSW Treatment Plant at Taloje

(4) Greening of CIDCO

Nature Park :

In collaboration with the Forest Department, CIDCO has taken up a Nature Park Project costing Rs.

36 Crs in an area of 2000 Ha. This project will have walking trails, regeneration of forests, water

conservation projects, viewing galleries, Adventure Camps and camping facilities, refurbishing of

existing waterfalls and Boulders Park etc.

Central Park :

Phase-II of Central Park, the area in Sector-24 of Kharghar node of 35 Ha.area is to be developed.

48 new Gardens are being developed in the next two years and all old Gardens are being

revamped.

(5) Play grounds, Sports facilities and Golf Course:

a) 61 more playgrounds with cricket pitches are being developed.

b) “Rajeev Gandhi Maidan“ in New Panvel is being developed into an international standard

c) 30 Gymnasiums and Yoga Centres are being developed.

(6) Golf Course :

7 hole golf course of international standard encompassing 68.70 Ha area including facilities

like reception area, restaurant , changing rooms & parking has been developed in Khargharat

a cost of Rs.50.35 Crs.

(7) Smart City

All CIDCO townships are being converted into smart cities with installation of CCTV cameras,

sensors, citizen centric portals, energy& water conservation schemes. LINK

(8) Exhibition Centre at Vashi :

On 7.41 Ha plot area consisting of closed exhibition space of 24288 Sq.M. & Convention

Centre of 11965 Sq.Marea with banquet hall, multipurpose hall & auditorium has been

constructed at a total cost of Rs.256 Cr. It will be made functional with the PPP Operator in

next six months.

football stadium.

(9) Redevelopment of Dilapidated buildings

CIDCO has prepared a model for redevelopment of CIDCO constructed old dilapidated

buildings through private initiative by provision of additional FSI. This is expected to not only

help in redevelopment of these buildings but will also create an additional housing stock for

the poor.

(10) JNPT Influence Area : (JNPTIA) Area – 187.01 Sq. Km.

(11) Professionalization of CIDCO Employees and Officers

Special Training, Research Papers, Meditation etc

(12) New Policy for Allotment of plots for Religious & Social Facilities

(13) Computerization :

SAP GIS Paperless Office

Auto DCR E-Payment Scanning & Digitization

Property Rates Will Rise Due Ready reckoner rates increase

MUMBAI: Home buyers in Mumbai will pay more for their dream home after a cash-strapped Maharashtra government sharply increased government rates used to calculate taxes paid by consumers when purchasing property. 

Ready reckoner rates, as they are called, have been increased by 30-40% in case of some fastest growing, popular suburbs in the city triggering protests by builders, consumers and unease among the members of the ruling BJP-Sena alliance which captured power in the state after a 15-year break. The hike, which is effective from January 1, could make property expensive and will most likely dampen hopes of home buyers waiting for a fall in property prices after years of dizzying climb. It will also make it difficult for builders who are eager to draw buyers and get rid off an increasingly bloated inventory 

Posh residential localities such as Worli, Bandra-Kurla complex, the city's fastest-growing commercial complex and home to someof the country's biggest financial institutions, are among the places where rates have been increased by 30-40%. Rates in popular suburbs such as Goregaon, Borivali, Malad, Chembur, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli have also been increased by a similar percentage. These localities are home to the city's burgeoning middle-class and upper middle-class families. Many of them voted heavily for the BJP in the October assembly election. 

While the average hike across the city is between 15-20% for 2015, the highest increase is about 40%. The average hike in the past two years has been 13%. 

< .. "We will again approach the state government to stay this hike because it will hurt sales. The move will not result in higher revenue for the state as the sales itself will remain subdued due to the hike," said Dharmesh Jain MD of Nirmal Lifestyle. Jain added that the developers' body will seek to meet the revenue minister in the next few days.  The ready reckoner is used to calculate the market value of properties for paying stamp duty and registration charges at the time of registering the transaction. The rates are different from market rates. Taxes such as stamp duty, value added tax, sales tax and the registration charges are based on such government provided ready reckoner rates. Rate changes were made for all of Maharashtra on Wednesday and it is customary for the government to announce such changes on the new year. The city BJP chief Ashish Shelar admitted that he was surprised by the extent of the hike but explained it away by saying that the government needs revenue. "It's a welfare state and if needed the government will take a call on these rates for the benefit of common man," he added.  "The buyers' outgo will increase now and will impact the sales absorption further. For a realty developer it's a double whammy as he will have to pay higher stamp duty for land transactions and will also have to convince the buyer to shell out more to buy the finished product," said Ramesh Nair, COO &International Director, property consultancy JLL India.

Illegal constructions thrive in Panvel as officials pass the buck

NAVI MUMBAI: The civic body and town planning authority continue to pass the buck, even as illegal construction of residential buildings continues to flourish in Panvel, including the 23 villages that are part of Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (Naina) land.

Officials from the revenue department had identified 35 illegal buildings in Panvel area and asked City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) to demolish them. According to a report submitted by revenue officials to Cidco last week, 35 buildings have already come up without requisite permissions from the concerned departments.

They include Nine buildings in Vichumbe, 10 in Devad, two in Shivkar, Usaly Khurd, Chiple and Adai each, 3 in Akurli and Nere each and one each in Vihighar and Harigram. "We have sent the list to Cidco for further action. We will continue our search for illegal buildings," said a revenue official from Panvel circle office.

An official from the office of Chief Controller of Unauthorized Construction (CUC) confirmed the receipt of the report, but wondered why the revenue department officials had not demolished the buildings earlier by exercising the existing authority vested on them.

"Unless our draft plan is approved by the government, we cannot distinguish the legal and illegal buildings in question," added the CUC official.

After Cidco was appointed as the special planning authority for 270 villages under Naina in 2012, it prepared a draft plan for the interim development of the area, which is awaiting government approval. Cidco officials expect the government to okay the plan in January.

With land prices sky-rocketing in Panvel due to the Naina project, residents said many local builders have started illegal constructions without obtaining necessary NOCs and other permission from authorities.

"Some illegal structures have already three to four floors and flats have been sold to buyers. Corrupt officials are hand-in-glove with builders to cheat the buyers. It's time for the authorities to stop the illegal constructions," said Rajesh Chaudhari, resident.

Ohhh My God : Another Campa Cola ?

400 flat owners in Panvel could lose homes to illegal constructions

ANOTHER CAMPA COLA: HC orders status quo after PIL alleges four societies in Panvel have come up illegally.

Occupants of over 400 flats in four complexes in Panvel, Navi Mumbai, are in danger of losing their homes after the Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the societies/builders to maintain status quo. 

The division bench of Justices A S Oka and A S Gadkari, while hearing a public interest litigation against the alleged illegal constructions in Panvel, directed that construction - wherever it was going on - should be stopped. 

The affected societies that have been constructed on the plot, near the State Transport bus stand, are Ambika Nagar CHS, Aspire CHS, Pushpadham CHS and Neelkanth Landmark. Of these, Neelkanth is a commercial complex and the construction is still on, while people have already taken possession of their houses in the other three societies. The court also directed that if the flats which are occupied or unsold are being sold, the purchaser should be specifically informed about the on-going litigation, and also told that the fate of the said flat will depend on the final outcome of the PIL. 

"A tragedy like Campa Cola should not happen again and the flat purchasers should not claim equity saying we are innocent purchasers," the court observed. 

The court also noted that there was prima facie illegality committed in granting permission to develop the said plots, where four societies comprising various buildings stand. Panvel resident Yashwant Bhagat, represented by advocate Rajendra Pai, had filed the PIL in 2009 after he noticed construction on the plots. On inquiry and with help of the Right to Information Act, he found that the land parcels belonged to the city planning authority CIDCO. 

The land on which these societies stand, constructed/under-construction on four different plots measuring a total of 18,500 sq mt, were originally acquired from local residents by the state government after it envisaged the scheme to develop a satellite city (Navi Mumbai). This particular area then fell under the limits of the Panvel Municipal Council (PMC). 

The CIDCO, represented by advocate Ashutosh Kulkarni, has been supporting the PIL and seeking that the land be returned to the body. Certain portions of the land are earmarked for railways for the Panvel-Diva railway line, while certain other is for Panvel-Matheran road and the balance for CIDCO. 

The PIL alleged that one Jitendra Timbadia got the land converted for non-agricultural use from the Collector, entered into agreements with four different builders/developers and the PMC granted development permissions, despite the fact that PMC had no such powers since the land had already been acquired by the state. 

During various hearings, the HC had directed Konkan's divisional commissioner to conduct an inquiry into the episode. The divisional commissioner, in an affidavit filed in March this year, along with the report, in a way ratified the contentions raised in the PIL. 

However, according to Timbadia, not only the development permissions but occupation certificate too has been obtained for the residential buildings, and hence there is no illegality on his part. 

The CIDCO too filed an affidavit saying that PMC did not have powers to grant development permission since it (CIDCO) was the planning authority. The CIDCO informed the court that the authority had been issuing stop work notices to the builders since February 2009 itself, but they carried on in blatant violation, ignoring its notices. According to CIDCO, it had informed other concerned authorities such as the PMC about the same, but it paid attention only after the HC came into picture. The case will now be heard in January, after court's Christmas vacation.

Kalyan could be next big business hub by 2028

B y 2028, or 13 years hence, the rapidly developing suburb of Kalyan could be transformed into a business and cultural hub and a self-sufficient township, according to a plan submitted to the city’s development authority by the South Korean government.

A South Korean government think-tank under its Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which has suggested the creation of five growth centres in the outer Mumbai region, has recommended developing Kalyan as the first priority keeping in mind its accessibility and growth potential. 

The other four centres recommended are 

Vasai-Virar, 

Bhiwandi, 

Greater Panvel and 

Pen-Alibaug.

Based on its experience in development of new districts around its capital Seoul, it has outlined a concept plan for a Kalyan growth centre, which could be completed by 2028 with an investment of Rs 56,676. 2 crore.

U P S Madan, metropolitan commissioner at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, said, “The concept of creating such cities in these countries is very different from ours. There a lot of infrastructure that is first put in place by the government and then the private sector follows. However, here it looks too huge an amount to spend upfront and expect returns over a longer period of time. In that sense, it doesn’t seem to be workable. A step-by-step approach is one option. We have asked them to give a more detailed implementation plan. The team will be visiting again on December 3.”

According to the report, the growth centre in Kalyan is proposed to be created across 27 villages – 19 in Kalyan and 8 in Ambernath – for which the MMRDA is already the special planning authority. The total area would be 1,077 hectares for a planned residential population of 2,91,000 people.

The area is expected to be well connected with the existing Mumbai-Kalyan radial, the Central railway line, the proposed Virar-Alibaug Multi Modal Corridor, and two state highways. The MMRDA has also been studying the possibility of setting up a mass transit corridor connecting Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan.

The growth centre will be a smart city with all urban infrastructure services like private and public offices, museums, theatres, colleges, shopping malls, business hotels, convention centres, health centres, markets, libraries and so on.

Sanjay Dutt, a member of the state’s Legislative Council and a Congress leader from Kalyan West, said, “Kalyan has fallen prey to haphazard unauthorised development due to delays in implementation of infrastructure development and the notification of a development plan for these 27 villages. If the government wants to seriously act on this report and develop Kalyan as a growth centre, the basic infrastructure has to be put in place first. 

Currently, Thane has a system of basic infrastructure developed with residences, commercial areas, good roads and connectivity, but Kalyan doesn’t even have that. Secondly, the government will have to fast-track plans for a mass transit corridor connecting Kalyan and actually take it beyond to areas like Ambernath and Titwala. Also, a development plan needs to be put in place at the earliest to stop illegal constructions.”

According to the report, the region is proposed to have 67,686 houses to accommodate a population of 291,077 people. The think-tank has recommended phasing out the implementation between 2015 and 2028, with the first phase to be developed in areas around major road corridors such as the proposed Virar-Alibaug Multi Modal Corridor and state highways. The second phase will include areas along a monorail line and the third phase to develop the remaining area. The think-tank suggests either public acquisition or land pooling as the means to make the project feasible. “It is still too early to talk about financial models. 

We will need to discuss with the state government and get its views on this proposal for the growth centres,” Madan said. Under public acquisition, the government will have to spend Rs 35,062 crore on land acquisition according to the new regulation and Rs 10,518.6 crore as compensation to the project-affected. Considering all other costs, the project is estimated to cost Rs 56,676.20 crore, excluding the regional transport infrastructure such as the main highway, monorail or the Multi Modal Corridor. Under the land pooling option, assuming a 10 per cent public ownership before pooling, the plan envisages returning 53.2 per cent of land to the owners and using 41.4 per cent for public facilities such as parks, recreational spaces, roads and other facilities. About 5.4 per cent could be reserved for sale, which would help the government break even. This model is likely to require a total investment of Rs 2980.50 crore.

Govt relaxes FDI policy for real estate sector

Removes lock-in period, minimum land area requirement

The government on Wednesday eased foreign direct investment (FDI) norms for the construction development sector, which is expected to provide a substantial boost to the sector in terms of greater foreign capital inflows.

Notifying the decision taken by the Cabinet in November, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), the nodal agency for all FDI policy, said foreign developers would now be allowed to exit a project only after completion or after completing the basic trunk infrastructure such as roads, water supply, street lighting, drainage and sewage.

Earlier foreign developers were not allowed to take out the invested amount before three years from completion of minimum capitalisation. However, now the foreign firm can take its money out or transfer its stake to another non-resident company before completing the project on approval from the government.

“The relaxation of the lock-in period comes as a major relief for the industry. The new rules allow FDI in smaller projects, which is a big relief. Besides, by doing away with the lock-in period, the government has now made the norms much simpler,” said Akash Gupt, executive director at PwC. In a significant step, the government also allowed foreign investors to invest in completed project for "operation and management."

In other words, 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route can now come in projects that have been completed by way of townships, malls and shopping complexes, and business centres. This was not allowed earlier.

"The notification eases foreign investment rules in India's construction sector, which has been troubled by problems such as paucity of funds and regulatory bottlenecks, said Sachin Sandhir, global managing director, emerging business, and managing director, South Asia, RICS.

Projects in semi-urban and peripheral locations of Tier I cities or locations in Tier II and Tier III cities could also take off at this scale, as land prices in these regions and the total capital investment requirement were attractive, he said.

Besides, under the new policy, the DIPP has also reduced minimum area requirements. Unlike the previous policy, foreign real estate developers can now invest in construction development projects having a minimum floor area of 20,000 sq meter. Earlier the requirement was 50,000 sq meters of built-up area. Similarly, the capital requirement was decreased from $10 million to $5 million.

"This is an extremely positive step and virtually meets most of the demands made by the industry. Moreover, by permitting transfer of stakes between two non-resident companies the government has literally opened the floodgates for FDI in the real estate sector," said Punit Shah, co-head of tax at KPMG.

Between April 2000 and September 2014, the construction development sector received about $24 billion, constituting 10 per cent of the overall FDI into the country during the period. However, since 2012-13, FDI inflow into the sector has slowed drastically. In 2012-13, it fell to $1.3 billion from $3.1 billion the previous year. It again declined to $1.2 billion in 2013-14. During the first six months of this financial year, only $568 million has flowed into this sector.

CIDCO DRAWS UP ACTION PLAN AGAINST ENCROACHMENTS

High profile violaters to be targeted first, criminal cases to be filed, WhatsApp service for info

G. Mohiuddin Jeddy, Navi Mumbai

Faced with large scale encroachments on CIDCO land in Navi Mumbai and the areas around the proposed airport, CIDCO has drawn up a detailed action plan to counter the menace. First on its radar are the `high profile’ violators who CIDCO plans to target to send out a strong message. It has also decided to file criminal cases against the vested interests involved in the illegal constructions and issued a stern warning to its own officials that they too will not be spared if found to be hand in glove with the encroachers. The nodal agency will also seek information from WhatsApp.

CIDCO has got in former Beed collector Sunil Kendrekar as the chief administrator (new towns), who now also heads the Controller of Unauthorised Constructions (CUC) department of CIDCO to take on the encorachers. Kendrekar is known as a no nonsense officer, whose transfer from Beed was opposed by the local residents.

Speaking at a press conference at CIDCO Bhavan, Kendrekar said, “We have decided to get tough and not spare anyone. I have asked my officers to not just start taking action against the encroachers but also lodge FIRs against them. Officers who do not take stern action against the violators will themselves face the music if they are found to be colluding.”

Added Kendrekar, “I have drawn up a list of 20 encroachments each in Navi Mumbai region and NAINA area around the proposed airport, which belong to the so called influential people of the area. Action has begun with notices being sent to these illegal structures as we want to send a very strong signal to all that nobody is above the law.”

Lamented Kendrekar, “I do not want to talk about the past, but I am certainly not satisfied with the work of the CUC so far. We need to set things right and gain the confidence of the people before things get out of hand.”

Stated Kendrekar, “There has been a problem of staff shortage. There was just one anti-encroachment squad for the entire region under CIDCO. Now I have asked for 4 squads in each region.”

Extending complete support to Kendrekar, CIDCO vice chairman and managing director Sanjay Bhatia who gave details of the action plan, said, “Residents will not be able to inform us through WhatsApp number 8767753114 of any violations. We are also monitoring changes on land through google maps. An MIS report on encroachment will also henceforth be generated detailing, the complaints and action taken.”

Added Bhatia, “To cut red tape, Kendrekar has been authorized to ask the CIDCO engineering department to fence the sites where demolition of illegal structures takes place to prevent the structures coming up again. We are also mapping our plots in the region to keep an eye on them.”

Informed Bhatia, “The administrators in the nodes under our jurisdiction have been provided with mobile squads to enable decentralized monitoring and stop new encroachments.”

Assured Bhatia, “No action will be taken against constructions within 200 metres of village land in the region as that matter is pending with the government for regularization. New constructions on such land will however not be allowed.”

Smart City In charge appreciates Cidco’s smart city scheme NAINA

Belapur: With hearings for objections and suggestions for the pilot project of Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) set to be held from November 27, the concept has evoked interest and even earned appreciation from none other than the chief of the smart city project in the Narendra Modi government. According to sources, “The in charge of smart city has appreciated the concept of NAINA and wants the model to be replicated in other parts of the country.” 

Cidco has passed a board resolution for development of NAINA area and has submitted interim development plan for the region comprising of 23 villages. The hearing on suggestions and objections will be held on November 27, 28 and 29 at the NAINA office in Belapur. 

Developers from the region had submitted their observation for the draft interim development plan and during the hearing want to make a detailed presentation of the issues faced by them. Elaborating on the plan, sources said, “NAINA is nothing but a smart city scheme. We plan to develop the area into region of the 21st century. If people come together and have minimum 10 hectare of land, then we have an incentive scheme wherein if they surrender 40% of their land to Cidco, they will get FSI of 1.7 for development against the presently available 0.1 FSI.” In addition, the sources said, “Cidco will be getting all the environmental clearances for them and develop infrastructure in the area.” 

The state government had appointed Cidco as special planning authority (SPA) for NAINA, which is in the 25 km radius area of Navi Mumbai airport. Cidco was also entrusted with the responsibility of draft interim development plan with corresponding control regulations. Accordingly, Cidco has prepared a pilot project of 23 villages. Any developer who has to start construction work in the NAINA region have to take permission from Cidco to start the project unlike the practise earlier, wherein it sought permission from local bodies. 

Meanwhile, developers want early decisions on NAINA. Harish Chheda, Navi Mumbai-based developer, however, feels the government should fast track NAINA development. “There is a need for Cidco and the state government to fast track NAINA development. Cidco was, till now, focused on airport development, but they should also cater to other sectors which demand attention.”

CR hastens plan for fast harbour line corridor

The Central Railways (CR) has fast tracked the proposal of creating a fast corridor on harbour line between Mumbai CST and Panvel. While CR has already cleared 70 per cent of the land, CIDCO has to clear the remaining land. 

The proposed elevated harbour line corridor is expected to come up by 2019 and is supposed to run airconditioned trains and cut down the travel time from the existing 75 minutes to a maximum of 35-40 minutes as the alignment would have only 10 stations. The officials said the estimated cost for the project is between Rs 12,000 crore to Rs 14,000 crore. "The basic idea is to help a commuter arriving at Panvel junction to be able to reach south Mumbai from the Pune-Mumbai expressway in 35 minutes," a senior CR official said. 

A brainchild of Central Railways general manager Sunil Kumar Sood, the coordination meeting where the fast corridor was discussed, seeks to iron out issues between the state government, the BMC, the MMRDA, CIDCO and the CR and are being held every Tuesday for the past two months. 

A real-time survey at the coordination meeting has revealed that the project can easily be taken ahead as 70 per cent of the air space required for the 48.3 km long corridor that will be elevated for 31.6 km of the route belongs to the Central Railways itself. However, 20 per cent of the land has to be taken from the Mumbai Port Trust. The corridor will also be at grade for 12.4 km, where it will run parallel to the existing harbour line. The corridor passes along the eastern side of the existing harbour line track more or less from Wadala till Reay Road. After Reay Road, the line skirts the PD'Mello Road into the Mumbai Port Trust area. 

The 10 halts that are being worked out will be in co-ordination with the existing suburban, metro or mono networks. The new terminal for the service will come up towards the east of CST near Carnac Bunder side. 

However, CIDCO has raised certain issues in Navi Mumbai as the planned railway line passes along the existing structures in some areas. 

"At Seawoods station, for example, the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has proposed the fast track corridor at grade passing through Seawood Station. This will reduce one platform of the Nerul-Uran corridor to a single discharge facility," the official said. 

"Land requirement put up by MRVC to the south of Kharghar Railway Station needs to be decided. The location of the platforms in Panvel Terminus for the fast track corridor also needs to be decided," he added. 

Rakesh Saksena, managing director of MRVC, said, "There are a few issues with land in Navi Mumbai. The project will also require support from the state government. The state needs to decide how it wants to implement the project. It needs to decide whether it wants Foreign Direct Investment or any other mode as it involves huge cost. However, it is a feasible project."

Cidco revamps policy to take on encroachments on its land

NAVI MUMBAI: City Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) has decided to take a tough stand on illegal encroachments. Under its revamped action plan, it is mandatory for anti-encroachment officers to register an FIR before demolition and procure a court order, if required. Also, there would be zero-tolerance policy towards any sort of external interference. 

MD Sanjay Bhatia introduced Sunil Kendrekar, who will be heading chief controller of unauthorized construction (CCUC) and the personnel department, at a media meet held on Tuesday. Kendrekar said demolition drives will not be conducted without filing an FIR and action will be taken against those officers who fail to do so. 

Residents can inform CUC about encroachments by posting pictures and details on Whatsapp (8767753114). The department will be monitoring all Cidco-owned plots and management information reports. 

Speaking against coercive tactics, Kendrekar said, " To reiterate the fact that the law is equal for all, 20 unauthorized constructions in Navi Mumbai airport influence notified area (NAINA) and 20 encroachments within Cidco area, reportedly belonging to influential people, are to be demolished soon ," he said. All new constructions within 200m radius of the gaothan area will also be demolished. 

All nodal administrators are authorized to prevent encroachments and will be provided with a squad as well. 

"Currently, there is only one demolition team which is insufficient, considering over 5,000-odd Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) notices have been issued. We are seeking four units of demolition squad for NAINA region and four more teams for Cidco areas," added Kendrekar. 

Developers oppose high development fee at NAINA

CIDCO’s decision to levy very high development fee for permission to develop projects in Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) will be detrimental to the development of the area, according to Rajesh Prajapati, managing director of Prajapati Constructions.

The exorbitant development charges will tender affordable housing into a joke as the cost of housing is bound to double. The development fee will translate into cost hike by Rs 500/- a square foot, Prajapati said.

As it is, the cost of housing is very high in and around Navi Mumbai and home buyers are looking at outskirts of the city for affordable housing, he said and argued that the new levy is bound to make affordable housing shortage even more acute.

“We hope better sense to prevail and CIDCO will reconsider their decision, most importantly in the interest of home buyers who have very few options and nowhere to go,” he said.

Prajapati drew the attention of CIDCO to widespread illegal construction going on in NAINA area and said the planning authority’s new move will further aggravate the problem and innocent buyers will be hit hard.