August 26, 2018

NAVI MUMBAI : The latest state government policy of converting closed industrial units to residential plots in Navi Mumbai is likely to affect the shape of the 2,500 hectares of the Trans Thane Creek (TTC)-MIDC industrial zone, popularly known as the Thane-Belapur industrial belt.

The state policy, which was declared two days ago following the meticulously charted draft notification of 2016 by the urban development department (UDD), is already drawing varied reactions from factory owners, developers and citizens.

“This state government notification of easy conversion of industrial units for residential purposes will throw open a lot of land area in the industrial zone to make buildings and towers. So, this is a good opportunity for developers in general, as nearly 40 per cent of the industrial units are either shutdown or running into losses. It makes business sense to give it for real estate development,” said Manohar Shroff, former secretary of the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI-Navi Mumbai).

However, vice president of TTC-MIDC Industries Association (TMIA), Prakash Padikkal, said, “We have to study this state notification and seek legal opinion, since we feel that the industry as a whole will suffer if there are residential complexes and towers coming up here.”

As per the government resolution on August 20, 2018, any open land or closed industrial unit on such a land, or any existing built-up area in the industrial zone, can be converted for residential and commercial use with permissible floor space index (FSI) with prior approval of the civic commissioner.

The notification also states that for industrial units that have shut down, No Objection Certificates (NOC) of the labour commissioner is required to ensure that the dues of the previously employed workers are paid off.

Padikkal added that TMIA, which comprises 4,000 small and medium scale industrial units employing over 5.5 lakh people, is already in legal dispute with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) over land ownership.

“There has not been any significant infrastructure development in the Thane-Belapur industrial zone, and now the state wants to give away land to builders. Who will run the industry then and what about ‘Make In Maharashtra?’ We will consult all our 4,000 members before taking a tough stand on this issue,” he said.

As per the policy, a premium 20 per cent of the amount will have to be paid to the state government for a speedy facilitation of change of land use, as per the ready reckoner land rates. Also, of the total FSI in the redevelopment process, 25 per cent has to be kept for commercial use.

Right to Information (RTI) activist Anarjit Chauhan remarked, “The government is only looking at lucrative short term gains by pleasing builders and throwing open industrial space. Such a policy can be legally challenged if one goes into the history of the original land ownership and change of use. As per the information that I have gathered, permission of Ministry of Environment (MoEF) will also be required for change of use as this was forest land given to the revenue department six decades ago.”

NMMC commissioner , Ramaswami N, said, “I will have to study this new government notification and then act on it. However, for now I can say that it looks like a win-win situation as residential units are required in industrial areas, and so it can be planned out well.”

Dinkar Samant, former chief architect and Cidco planner, is also of the opinion that such a move (from industrial to residential) is not good for the city.

“It is also not good for the economy. A city exists on three factors — residential, job ppportunities (industrial), and civic amenities. So, if the industrial manufacturing base is further shrunk, it is not good for the city.”

Samant added that earlier, several chemical factories at TTC MIDC were gradually replaced by infotech parks, which are also employing more people.

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Source:realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com