Mumbai: The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) has received 78,000 online applications for its annual lottery where 819 flats will be allotted. However, only 63,000 applicants have made payments to register themselves for the lottery.
Although, the Mhada claims it will hand over possession to winners within six months this year, the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) approvals are yet to be received.
A senior Mhada official said that the winners would be handed over possession of their flats after the authorities give their clearance. “The developer of these flats would required to upload all the permissions sought and other formalities on the official RERA website first,” said the official.
Since the RERA has come into force this year, getting sanctions for new constructions has become a tedious task for the builders as well as authorities due to its strict norms. The construction requires an OC (Occupancy Certificate) from the civic body. As of September, the Mhada has managed to get an OC for two buildings that have been reserved for the 2017 lottery. “We will not delay handing over possession this year because of the strict rules imposed under RERA. If there is any delay, the developer would be required to pay the penalty,” added the official.
Meanwhile, the total number of registrations stood at 64,000. The turnout has been low this year compared to last year wherein the authority received 1.65 lakh applications. The lottery deadline for payment was closed on Thursday and thus for the final count, the authority received 63,000 participants who made final payments.. Of the 819 homes that the participants will be bidding for, eight are for less-income groups, 192 for low-income groups and 281 for medium-income groups.
The lottery will be announced on November 10 at Rangsharda Auditorium, Bandra Reclamation. After the lottery announcement, the eligibility of the lottery winner would be checked and then the flats will be handed over to them.
