The Hindu       10.11.2014 

DDA policy to provide relief to 5 lakh displaced people

Over five lakh displaced people staying in DDA properties without official authorisation or on lease by paying damages will soon be benefitted with the land agency working on formulating a policy to regularise such properties.

DDA vice-chairman Balvinder Kumar has initiated the process of formulating a policy for thousands of properties occupied by displaced persons and others from 1940 onwards on the basis of “paying damages” or “leases” in 23 nazul estates of Delhi in areas like Karol Bagh, Paharganj, Anand Parbat, Chuna Mandi, etc.

The DDA said government land falling under these 23 nazul estates, after partition, was mainly occupied by refugees, who settled in these open spaces without official authorisation. These occupants were issued slips known as “damages slips” for using the government land. On constitution of the DDA in 1957, these lands were transferred to the land agency. The number of such properties in 1959 was approximately 18,179.

Over a period of time, these plots were either inherited, subdivided or sold and “damages slips” became the basis of various transactions, i.e., sale mutation etc. and in many cases the transactions were registered also. The “damages”, as per the slips issued, were being collected through Damages Collectors.

The DDA said the number of these properties have now multiplied many times and there are around one lakh families, i.e., about five lakh occupants who are staying in these properties after paying damages and many even without paying any damages. Some of the land in these areas was on leasehold basis and continues to be occupied by such occupants even though the leases have either expired or have been cancelled /determined.

“In order to provide relief to such thousands of unauthorised occupants who have been continuing to occupy government land either without official authorisation or through leases for more than 60 years, a policy is being formulated to regularise such occupancy. For working out the basic guideline, details of the households, their occupants are being collected from the Census House Listing Schedules of 2010-2011, where each structure has been listed along with the status of the owner or the tenant. Help of the National Population Register-2011 and various socio-economic surveys are also being taken to get the exact details,” the DDA said.

The occupants in areas like Karol Bagh, Paharganj, Anand Parbat and Chuna Mandi were issued “damages slips”

The Times of India       24.10.2014  

BMC babus' bribe rate card for builders: Rs 1,200 a square feet

MUMBAI: Corrupt officials in the BMC's building proposals department are extorting huge sums from developers to clear legal projects. The situation is such that recently a group of 25 top builders met to decide on approaching senior department officials to seek reasonable bribe rates.

The new development control rules introduced two years ago leave no scope for manipulation or illegality in building plans. So, engineers intentionally delay sanctioning projects to pressure builders to pay up. Any delay in starting a building project could cause severe loss to developers, who procure loans at interest rates as high as 24%.

Sources said the three engineers arrested by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) in the E-Ward office in Byculla on Monday had "crossed all limits" in their demands. "The complainant was a small builder, who was at his wits end and was forced to approach the ACB to trap these officers," said industry insiders.

One of the engineers was earlier posted at the Kandivli office, but was transferred to the Byculla division following complaints from builders in the western suburbs. On Tuesday, civic chief Sitaram Kunte told TOI that the three engineers have been suspended following their arrests for allegedly accepting Rs 15 lakh in bribe.

Industry sources said the bribe demands are mind-boggling: Rs 1,200 a sq ft in the island city, Rs 800 a sq ft between Bandra and Andheri, and up to Rs 600 a sq ft in the eastern suburbs. "It could cost a builder Rs 5-30 crore, depending on the size of the project," said industry sources. Builders complained that despite complaints, the civic administration has failed to rein in these rogue officials.

"I have repeatedly asked the Maharashtra chamber of housing industry to complain against any official who demands a bribe," said Kunte. "It is an ethical issue and very difficult to control."

Construction industry insiders said corruption increased manifold after the development control rules were amended in 2011 to curb the discretionary powers of officials to favour certain builders.

"Since such powers are gone, officers now hold back files and demand huge sums from builders just to sanction what is laid down in law," said architect Shirish Sukhatme. Probably the most sought-after posting is in the Bandra (West) section. For over a decade, a local politician-turned-builder used to influence transfers of officers in this section. The Bandra-Khar-Santa Cruz belt is witness to some of the most blatant building violations, with skyscrapers permitted to be built on extremely narrow plots.

"In the 1980s, builders would voluntarily give 'bakshish' to officers for clearing files as a goodwill gesture. Today, these officers demand it as a right as they know builders are making super profits," said an industry source.

Several builders said that at every stage, officers and engineers demand Rs 5-20 lakh for basic permissions to start construction. "The all-important occupation certificate could set back a developer by over Rs 1 crore," they said.

In 2012, the civic administration issued a circular to speed up building approvals, curb corruption and fix responsibility for delays. But it was conveniently buried.

The circular stipulated a maximum of 60 days for plans to be approved and warned department staff that "any lapse" in approving plans within the period would be "viewed seriously". Former municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar issued it after complaints that officials delayed approvals by seeking irrelevant information, forcing developers to part with bribes.

But over the past few years, a gang of professional blackmailers claiming to be RTI activists have connived with BMC engineers to extort money from builders. A false complaint to the BMC could stall work for a couple of months. Any delay results in losses. A builder prefers to pay up. "Sometimes, civic officers themselves tell us to settle with these people," said a developer. He alleged that some BMC employees were hand-in-glove with extortionists and could well be guiding them.