The Maharashtra government's formation of a new 10-member committee to review amendments to the Maharashtra Apartment Ownership Act, 1970, has triggered confusion and concern among housing activists. This Act governs ownership, management, and transfer of apartments across the state, impacting over 1 lakh buildings. The move follows a previous committee's recommendations, yet no actions were taken. Critics question the efficiency of the new committee given its tight three-month deadline. Key areas for amendment include simplifying redevelopment and resolving disputes within apartment associations. Activists urge inclusive review processes to ensure effective reforms benefiting residents statewide.
The Maharashtra government's recent appointment of a new 10-member committee to study amendments to the Maharashtra Apartment Ownership Act, 1970, has sparked confusion and concern among housing activists in the state. This Act governs the ownership, management, and transfer of apartments in Maharashtra, impacting over 1 lakh buildings across the state. There are an estimated 15,000 buildings under this Act in Pune district alone.
This move comes just eight months after a previous 15-member committee submitted a comprehensive report with recommendations for amending the Act. However, the government has not yet implemented any of these recommendations or provided any feedback on the report.
The new committee, formed by the state housing department under the Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies, has been tasked with reviewing the Act and proposing amendments within a tight timeframe of three months. This short deadline has raised questions about the seriousness and efficiency of the review process.
Housing experts believe that key areas for amendment include streamlining the redevelopment process, which can be complex and time-consuming, and resolving disputes within apartment associations. Many apartment associations are considering dissolving and forming cooperative housing societies to simplify redevelopment procedures.
Advocate Shreeprasad Parab, an expert director with the State Housing Federation, expressed concerns about the exclusion of key stakeholders from the new committee. He believes that experienced organizations like the Pune Federation, a parent body of apartments in Pune, and the Maharashtra State Housing Federation, which represents housing societies across the state, should have been included in the review process.
Housing activists urge the government to address the concerns raised by the previous committee and apartment associations. They hope that the new committee can work efficiently within its tight timeframe to propose effective amendments that will benefit residents across the state. Effective amendments to the Maharashtra Apartment Ownership Act have the potential to positively impact a significant number of residents living in over 1 lakh buildings.
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