BMC issues a stop-work notice for the renovation of Bhendi Bazaar; SBUT publishes a statement

On the orders of Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister and Housing Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a stop-work notice, dealing a serious blow to one of the largest housings and first cluster rehabilitation projects of Bhendi Bazaar. During the monsoon session, Fadnavis informed the State Assembly that this rehabilitation project will be looked upon. The plan was altered and the reconstruction road width was decreased as a result of suspected errors in the initial redevelopment.

 

Following the destruction of outdated cess structures, the Bhendi Bazaar reconstruction project is underway. The custodian of cess buildings is the Mumbai Building Repair and Reconstruction Board (MBRRB). The buildings that are cessed are those for which taxes are collected by the government for a repair fund. The BMC collects cess on behalf of the repair board. The other renters, often known as Pagdi tenants, are co-owners even though the land is owned by landowners.

 

According to Development Control Regulation (DCR), 2034, MHADA and the Promoter/Developer will split any additional Floor Space Index (FSI) over and above "rehabilitation FSI + incentive FSI" in terms of Built-Up Area (BUA) if the total rehabilitation Floor Space Index (FSI) + incentive FSI is less than 4. According to the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust, the rehabilitation and incentive FSIs in the aforementioned Bhendi-Bazaar redevelopment instance are greater than 4. (SBUT). As a result, the MHADA reserve space is not relevant to this project.

 

We have stopped all site development in response to the unexpected notice from MCGM. Around 25,000 individuals are benefiting from this upliftment initiative, which is also improving the crumbling infrastructure of Bhendi Bazaar. The entire project is being carried out in accordance with the approvals and licences of all relevant authorities and has been planned in accordance with the Development Control Regulations 33 (9) provisions.

 

Due to the project's first phase being completed, the living standards of over 610 families and 128 businesses have already improved. We remain steadfastly committed to meeting the expectations of the remaining tenants as well by bringing them back to their original locations as soon as possible. We are certain that the notice will be lifted shortly based on the Deputy CM's recent announcement in the Legislative Assembly that the Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment is a historic project and construction will not be interrupted.

 

 

Image Courtesy: Twitter @ie_mumbai