Flats in buildings without the required approvals or those exceeding sanctioned construction limits will face registration restrictions across Maharashtra under new directions issued by the state government to curb illegal construction and protect homebuyers from financial losses.
The Revenue Department has directed sub-registrars across the state to comply with the rules through a government resolution issued on Monday. The decision follows complaints about buildings constructed without necessary permissions, violations of zoning regulations, projects lacking mandatory Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) registration and flats being sold with areas exceeding those approved in building plans.
Documents Required for Registration
Under the new rules, first-sale flats in projects requiring MahaRERA registration must have the relevant MahaRERA registration certificate or Occupancy Certificate (OC), along with the approved building plan.
For projects that do not require MahaRERA registration, developers must submit the commencement certificate issued by the competent authority, the approved building plan, a zoning certificate and a measurement plan.
The government has also prohibited sub-registrars from registering property documents if the flat area mentioned in the transaction exceeds the area approved in the building plan.
Unauthorised Buildings Face Action
Buildings that violate the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR), the Development Plan or the Regional Plan cannot be sold directly if they are unauthorised. Such buildings must first be regularised wherever legally permissible.
Structures that cannot be regularised will remain unauthorised and may face demolition, according to the government resolution.
Officials Warned Against Violations
The government has warned that sub-registrars who knowingly register documents relating to unauthorised construction will face departmental inquiries.
Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the decision was intended to protect homebuyers who purchase flats in good faith but later discover that the properties are unauthorised, resulting in substantial financial losses.
The minister said the government had taken the decision to prevent such malpractices and protect buyers from being cheated.
Complaints Across Maharashtra
The government’s action follows complaints about unauthorised construction and irregular property transactions in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Thane, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Haveli, Mulshi, Nagpur and other urban areas.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had asked Bawankule to take action against such irregularities, following which the Revenue Department issued the directions to sub-registrars across the state.
Source: Hindustan Times
