The Pune Municipal Corporation is considering extending its gunthewari regularization scheme by three months due to a lacklustre response. Since its reintroduction last year, only 21 out of 856 proposals have been approved, with high costs and complex processes deterring property owners. The scheme aims to regularize unauthorized subdivisions of privately owned land, but limited geographic applicability and documentation hurdles have hindered its success.
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The municipal administration of Pune is considering an extension of its gunthewari regularization initiative by an additional three months due to the lukewarm response it has received. The original deadline for submitting proposals under this scheme had lapsed on July 31.
Data obtained from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) reveals that only 21 proposals have been approved since the scheme's reintroduction in a revised format in January of the previous year. Among the 856 proposals received by the PMC, a significant number—547 to be precise—were rejected, while 288 are still undergoing evaluation.
To partake in the scheme, applicants are required to submit their proposals through civil engineers or architects who are registered with the PMC. The scheme aims to regularize Gunthewari constructions, a term referring to plots formed through unauthorized subdivision of privately owned land, which includes buildings on such plots, except land encroachments, governed by the Maharashtra Gunthewari Development (Regularisation, Upgradation, and Control) Act, 2001. Properties falling within this category and constructed up until December 31, 2020, can be considered for regularization under this scheme.
However, property owners have expressed their reservation towards the scheme due to the substantial costs involved in the regularization process. The expense is seen as a major deterrent, with owners of properties measuring around 1,000 square feet having to bear an approximate cost of Rs 6 lakh for regularization. Interestingly, this cost has escalated by almost six to seven times in comparison to a similar scheme launched nearly two decades ago with a cut-off date of January 1, 2001.
It's worth noting that the scheme does not extend its reach to no-development zones, eco-sensitive areas, green belts, tourism zones, and regions of security concern. As a result, there are certain geographical limitations to where this regularization process can be applied.
The complexity of the entire process, including the documentation and formalities required, has deterred property owners from pursuing regularization. These complexities have rendered the process arduous and time-consuming, discouraging property owners who might otherwise be interested in availing of the scheme's benefits.
Although individuals from the older city areas and recently merged villages are showing interest in regularization, inadequate documentation is preventing their applications from being considered. The civic administration emphasizes the importance of proper documentation to ensure that applications can be processed smoothly and efficiently.
In light of the current response and the challenges faced by property owners, the civic administration is contemplating extending the scheme's duration by an additional three months. This extension aims to provide property owners with more time to understand the scheme, gather the required documentation, and overcome the obstacles that have hindered their participation.
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