October 3, 2025: BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging the extension of the cessed building redevelopment policy to dilapidated structures in Mumbai’s suburban areas. He argued that such a move would accelerate long-delayed redevelopment projects and provide timely relief to residents living in unsafe conditions.
Kotecha, who represents Mulund in the Assembly, noted that the lack of a clear policy framework has left lakhs of suburban families stranded in deteriorating buildings. “Numerous residents in old suburban buildings are being denied the benefits granted to cessed building redevelopment. Extending these provisions will ensure safety, dignity, and timely relief for thousands of families,” he wrote.
The legislator has specifically called for the application of Sections 79A, 91A, and 95A of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Act (MHADA) to suburban Mumbai. These sections were inserted following the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development (Amendment) Act, 2020, which received Presidential assent in December 2022. The amendment aimed to streamline the redevelopment of dangerous cessed buildings in South Mumbai.
Explaining the provisions, Kotecha highlighted that Section 79A allows MHADA or the state government to take over redevelopment projects if landlords fail to act, enabling tenants to submit their own proposals. Section 91A empowers MHADA to complete stalled projects abandoned by developers due to financial or other difficulties. Section 95A reduces the consent requirement for redevelopment from 70% to 51% of residents and permits rent payments instead of temporary accommodation for displaced tenants.
Kotecha stressed that extending these provisions to suburban Mumbai would fast-track redevelopment, address long-standing hardships, and provide a structured mechanism for resolving delays in dangerous buildings. The proposal now awaits a response from the state government.
Source: The Indian Express
