Maharashtra realty mess: Builders take RTI route.

DNA: Sudhir Suryawanshi: Tuesday, April 3, 2012.

To highlight the problems faced by the real estate sector, developers have decided to raise the issue with the government in a different way.

They have decided to seek information on various approved plans and earned revenue in the last 10 years, to show that the state government is losing revenue because of its slow approval procedure and various wrong policies.

The Maharashtra Chambers of Housing Industry (MCHI) and Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) have decided to file RTI queries to seek details on approved plans and earned revenue.

“Taking a stand against the government and its officials will not help us. We should have an amicable and cordial relationship with them. Only then can any business can be done in the city and state. So, after a series of discussions, we have changed our policy,” said a senior MCHI official, requesting anonymity.

Another developer admitted that they were equally responsible for the mess in the construction industry. “We made a habit of getting away easily. We always wanted a boom (not doom) in the construction industry by selling maximum flats at high rates and ripping off an enormous profit,” he said, adding that the present civic chief Subodh Kumar has made matters worse for developers by controlling each and every thing. “It is good, but we are not habituated to follow stringent procedure,” he added.

MCHI president Paras Gundecha said, “We want to resolve the deadlock amicably. We will submit a memorandum to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and present our problem. After that, we will take a further course of action.”

The Builders’ Association of India has recently issued a press release stating that the state is losing an opportunity to create nearly 1 lakh housing stock due to the introduction of new redevelopment regulations.

“It would have generated Rs9,882 crore revenue via the sale of additional FSI on a premium basis as per DC regulation 33(5)2-C-(ii),” states the press release.