The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has directed NVK Realty LLP to restore six floors of Palmera, a 22-storey residential tower on Turner Road in Bandra, Mumbai, after alleging deviations from the building’s approved plans. The developer has been given one month to comply, with prosecution possible if the directions are not followed.
The notice, issued on October 6 under Sections 53(1) and 53(2) of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, covers the seventh to 12th floors of the project. The tower is being developed on the former bungalow site of actor Mala Sinha.
According to the sanctioned plan dated September 12, 2023, these six floors were reserved for permanent transit camp (PTC) tenements, which were to be handed over to the SRA upon completion. The authority alleges that the developer modified the units without obtaining the necessary approval and has instructed it to restore them according to the approved layout.
The alleged violations were identified during a site inspection on September 30, following a Right to Information application filed by activist Santosh Daundkar around six months earlier. A senior SRA official confirmed that the notice had been served.
PTC Relocation Proposal Yet to Receive Approval
The case has brought attention to Regulation 33(11) of the Development Control and Promotion Regulations, 2034. Under this provision, developers can receive incentive floor space index (FSI) in return for providing built-up space for PTC tenements to the SRA free of charge. These facilities accommodate people displaced by infrastructure projects such as road widening, railway works and Metro construction.
An SRA official told Hindustan Times that a proposal to relocate NVK Realty’s PTC facility to Andheri had been prepared under a standard operating procedure but remained unapproved.
Meanwhile, the authority has suspended processing the developer’s September 10 application to club the Letter of Intent for a separate scheme until the directions are followed.
NVK Realty acknowledged receiving the notice, stating that its architect was coordinating with the SRA. A company representative described the matter as a minor compliance issue and said the developer would address it and submit the necessary compliance documents.
The allegations have raised concerns among activists about enforcement of incentive-FSI conditions and regulatory monitoring of redevelopment projects involving PTC obligations. No final determination on the alleged violations has been reported.
Source: Prop News Time
