The Times of India  13.08.2010

MUMBAI: The car-parking scam exposed by TOI in its edition yesterday has finally shaken the civic administration out of its slumber.

Reacting to the news report, municipal commissionerSwadheen Kshatriya has called for the files pertaining to the JVPD building where the BMC’s building proposals department sanctioned a mind-boggling 386 car slots for just 33 apartments.

In the suburbs, many developers have been getting plans sanctioned for car-parking decks on each floor, and then misusing this space by selling it as part of an apartment. The JVPD highrise where the builder, Praful Satra, is providing nine car decks on each of the 11 floors has led to allegations of major violations and corruption by local residents under the Gulmohar Area Societies Welfare Group.

“We will check every case and physically verify the areas of projects where such car decks have been permitted. This is a blatant violation of law,’’ Kshatriya told TOI on Thursday, adding that under the recently amended Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act (MOFA), builders have to sell flats only on the basis of the actual carpet area. “To sell anything that is not part of the carpet area is violation number one. Violation number two is to then cover the car deck illegally and make it part of the flat,’’ Kshatriya said.