Request to grant Occupation Certificate (OC) to all legal, structurally sound buildings which are over 10 years old.
ALERT CITIZENS FORUM OF INDIA
A7/303, Saket CHSL, Saket Marg, Thane (W) 400601.
The Hon. Municipal Commissioner,
Thane Municipal Corporation,
Thane.
CC: Shri Sanjay Kelkar, MLA
CC : Corporators from TMC
- with request to follow up and help in the matter.
Respected Sir,
Thane Municipal Corporation had announced an amnesty scheme for all buildings which did not have Occupation Certificate (OC) - a welcome move which gave a chance to thousands of such buildings to apply for and have a chance of procuring the OC after paying the requisite fine to the Corporation.
It was a win-win situation for both - residents get the OC and the Corporation gets revenue.
Unfortunately, from reports in the media, the Amnesty scheme - now closed - did not receive the expected response from buildings in Thane.
Reasons:
Few reasons that have come forward out of the experience are:
1) Though the TMC had reduced penalty from a whopping ₹500/- per door per day to a mere ₹10/- per door per day, people still found it too steep as majority of the applying buildings were more than 10-15 years old and the cumulative penalty for so many years, prima facie looked huge.
2) Failure of TMC to publicize the Amnesty scheme and its benefits to buildings.
3) Failure of TMC to publicize that the penalty could be paid in instalments - so would not burden the people.
4) One of the conditions of TMC - the buildings were asked to submit their approved plans - which for various reasons many buildings did not have, so their applications were treated as incomplete.
5) TMC officials levied an additional penalty on residents if they had made any alterations in their flats - and that was huge.
Sir, in the trailing mail, we have requested the Chief Minister that the Government should take a policy decision to grant OC to all legally constructed, structurally sound buildings which are over 10 years of age.
Sir, people staying in such buildings are all middle class people.
As most of such buildings are over 10-15 years, they have to undergo Structural Repairs - for which the residents have to contribute huge amounts.
This along with the penalty for delay in applying for OC plus the additional penalty to be paid for alterations made in flats - it becomes a huge financial burden and people opt for the easy way out - they don't apply for OC.
They don't realize that without OC, they will not be able to redevelop the building when time comes.
Sir, in Thane, more than 50% of buildings don't have OC.
It is our earnest plea to you to please devise a mechanism wherein by paying the penalty (as per the Amnesty scheme), all legally constructed buildings, over 10-15 years in age but which are structurally sound - be granted OC, without levying that additional penalty for alterations done in their flats.
Sir, over the years, with a change in a person's family size and financial status - some alterations are bound to happen.
You are a man with a vision and are extremely forward looking.
We request you to please consider the facts mentioned in the letter and in larger interest of the city, grant OC to buildings as requested.
Thane-ites will be ever grateful to you.
Regards,
For Alert Citizens Forum of India,
Dayanand Nene
President
Team Alert in Thane: Jitendra Satpute, Prasad Bedekar, Pramod Date, Kiran Joshi, CS Sandhya Malhotra, Parikshit Dhume, Ganesh Iyer.
A7/303, Saket CHSL, Saket Marg, Thane (W) 400601.
The Hon. Municipal Commissioner,
Thane Municipal Corporation,
Thane.
CC: Shri Sanjay Kelkar, MLA
CC : Corporators from TMC
- with request to follow up and help in the matter.
Respected Sir,
Thane Municipal Corporation had announced an amnesty scheme for all buildings which did not have Occupation Certificate (OC) - a welcome move which gave a chance to thousands of such buildings to apply for and have a chance of procuring the OC after paying the requisite fine to the Corporation.
It was a win-win situation for both - residents get the OC and the Corporation gets revenue.
Unfortunately, from reports in the media, the Amnesty scheme - now closed - did not receive the expected response from buildings in Thane.
Reasons:
Few reasons that have come forward out of the experience are:
1) Though the TMC had reduced penalty from a whopping ₹500/- per door per day to a mere ₹10/- per door per day, people still found it too steep as majority of the applying buildings were more than 10-15 years old and the cumulative penalty for so many years, prima facie looked huge.
2) Failure of TMC to publicize the Amnesty scheme and its benefits to buildings.
3) Failure of TMC to publicize that the penalty could be paid in instalments - so would not burden the people.
4) One of the conditions of TMC - the buildings were asked to submit their approved plans - which for various reasons many buildings did not have, so their applications were treated as incomplete.
5) TMC officials levied an additional penalty on residents if they had made any alterations in their flats - and that was huge.
Sir, in the trailing mail, we have requested the Chief Minister that the Government should take a policy decision to grant OC to all legally constructed, structurally sound buildings which are over 10 years of age.
Sir, people staying in such buildings are all middle class people.
As most of such buildings are over 10-15 years, they have to undergo Structural Repairs - for which the residents have to contribute huge amounts.
This along with the penalty for delay in applying for OC plus the additional penalty to be paid for alterations made in flats - it becomes a huge financial burden and people opt for the easy way out - they don't apply for OC.
They don't realize that without OC, they will not be able to redevelop the building when time comes.
Sir, in Thane, more than 50% of buildings don't have OC.
It is our earnest plea to you to please devise a mechanism wherein by paying the penalty (as per the Amnesty scheme), all legally constructed buildings, over 10-15 years in age but which are structurally sound - be granted OC, without levying that additional penalty for alterations done in their flats.
Sir, over the years, with a change in a person's family size and financial status - some alterations are bound to happen.
You are a man with a vision and are extremely forward looking.
We request you to please consider the facts mentioned in the letter and in larger interest of the city, grant OC to buildings as requested.
Thane-ites will be ever grateful to you.
Regards,
For Alert Citizens Forum of India,
Dayanand Nene
President
Team Alert in Thane: Jitendra Satpute, Prasad Bedekar, Pramod Date, Kiran Joshi, CS Sandhya Malhotra, Parikshit Dhume, Ganesh Iyer.
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