Additional suburban collector in charge of ULC recently declared about 300 acres owned by Godrej, VK Kabali and Veerkayalal Investment as surplus.
Now that it is “firm” about scrapping the controversial Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) Act, 1976, the state government has hastened the process of acquiring chunks from major landowners in the city.
Under ULCA, a landowner, including trusts, can own only 500 sq-mt of plot. Any excess is declared as surplus, which the government acquires for public housing schemes. Additional suburban collector in charge (ULC) SR Jondale recently declared about 300 acres owned by Godrej, VK Kabali and Veerkayalal Investment Pvt Ltd as surplus.
The decision is significant considering that the ULC ACT has been poorly implemented. The government has in the past 30 years managed to acquire only about 1,000 acres for public housing, because landowners do not provide ownership details.
Huge chunks of lands held under various trusts name is sold off by the owners with the charity commissioner’s permission. “Our nod is not required in such cases,” said Jondale. Hence, the ULC department does not have an exact figure of surplus lands.
Department officials are not hopeful of acquiring more surplus lands, because some fall under either the no-development zone (NDZ) or the coastal regulation zone. Such lands are exempted from ULC if they are proposed to be used to set up an information technology park or a three-star hotel and 25 per cent of prevailing land cost is paid.
Many landowners / developers have been granted exemption. About eight years ago, the government granted exemption to over 150 acres owned by FE Dinshaw in Malad. K Raheja Corp has constructed the commercial hub, Mindspace, on over 125 acres of this land with an investment of over Rs300 million crore.
About 28,054 sq-mt of land belonging to erstwhile Indian Hotels (and now CL Raheja of K Raheja Constructions) has been granted exemption to set up a three-star hotel near the airports. Godrej has also approached the government for exemption for a three-star hotel and an IT park in Vikhroli.
However, real estate experts feel the fee charged by the government to grant ULC exemption is peanuts, because the NDZ and CRZ lands are located in prime realty area of Malad, Andheri and Ghatkopar. Meanwhile, Kabali has filed an appeal challenging the ULC Department order to acquire his lands.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}