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The Maharashtra government has approved two major urban-planning policies: a concept-based 'iconic city' policy for CIDCO and other agencies, and a large-scale redevelopment plan for older MHADA colonies. Through tenders, developers will build integrated residential townships or commercial districts on agency land under the first policy. Under the second, MHADA colonies of 20 acres or more many built in the 1950s-60s will be rebuilt with modern amenities, better infrastructure, larger homes, and environmental upgrades, overseen by a high-powered committee.
The Maharashtra cabinet has given its approval to a policy for concept-based iconic city development, aiming to make better use of land owned by CIDCO (City and Industrial Development Corporation) as well as other state authorities. At the meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis, officials noted that many land parcels held by CIDCO were under multiple construction-and-development operators (CDOs), which made truly integrated township-style development difficult. Advertisement
Under the new policy, CIDCO and other authorities will appoint CDOs through a tender process. These operators will receive development rights and will be able to build integrated residential townships or international-level commercial districts, and sell both residential and commercial units.
In parallel, the cabinet approved a comprehensive redevelopment policy for MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority) colonies spanning at least 20 acres in Mumbai and its suburbs. MHADA had constructed 56 such colonies for middle- and low-income groups between the 1950s and 1960s, covering almost 5,000 cooperative housing societies, many of which are now structurally weak or dilapidated.
Under this new redevelopment framework, large layouts will be replaced with modern housing units featuring amenities such as lifts, sufficient parking, parks, community halls, playgrounds, gyms, swimming pools, and CCTV systems. The supporting infrastructure water supply, sewage, electricity, and internal roads will also be upgraded with a focus on environmental sustainability.
Residents will benefit from larger homes compared to their existing tenements. A key element of the policy is that it permits the highest allowable rehabilitation FSI (floor space index) even without individual consent from every occupant, though developers must secure a support resolution from the housing societies through the tendering process.
To ensure that the redevelopment proceeds smoothly, the government has constituted a high-powered committee, to be led by the Additional Chief Secretary (Housing), to oversee policy implementation.
These decisions follow earlier MHADA reform efforts: for instance, MHADA recently announced that maintenance fees and property taxes for certain homes will only be charged from the date of possession, not from allotment, to ease financial burden on residents. Moreover, MHADA has already initiated redevelopment in other parts of Mumbai: a tender was issued for cluster redevelopment in Kamathipura, under its Building Repairs and Reconstruction Board, aiming to offer safer homes with upgraded infrastructure.
Source PTI
5th Jun, 2025
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