A 22-storey luxury tower on a prime plot in Turner Road, Bandra, has come under the scrutiny of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) as the builder has allegedly deviated from the approved plan to construct permanent transit camp (PTC) tenements on six of its floors. The building — a redevelopment property — stands on the plot where the 1960s actor Mala Sinha’s bungalow, Mala Albert Sinha House, once stood.
Hence, we issued the notice,” the official said, adding that given Mumbai’s many ongoing infrastructure development projects, the city requires at least 2 lakh such PTCs for various projects. Activist and advocate Y P Singh said the arrangement raised broader concerns about the use of regulation 33(11) for projects that ultimately comprise sale of buildings. “The irony of Regulation 33(11) is that, although the building is meant for sale, it is treated as a rehabilitation building during construction. Meanwhile, in a separate communication, the SRA has put NVK Realty LLP’s application submitted on September 10, to club the Letter of Intent (LOI) for a separate scheme on hold. SRA said the application would not be processed until the developer complied with the directions in the October 6, notice.
“The developer altered the units in Bandra without approval. In NVK Realty’s case, the PTC facility was initially planned within the Bandra building. This enables the developer to claim additional FSI and concessions, including reduced open spaces and garden areas, which are otherwise associated with SRA schemes. Our architect is handling the matter with the SRA. “The principal beneficiaries appear to be builders and property owners, while the government and the BMC could lose legitimate revenue through premiums and other statutory charges.
the relocation had not yet been approved, the official said Although a standard operating procedure was prepared to shift it to Andheri. The transit camp obligation can subsequently be fulfilled in another building,” Singh said. NVK Realty said it had received the notice and would comply with the requirements. We have been told it is a minor compliance issue, and we will address it and submit the compliance. The whistle-blower Daundkar said: “This revelation raises serious questions about regulatory compliance and the issuance of incentive FSI. He alleged that “other developers and affluent property owners could be benefiting from such an access which would enable construction of luxury towers with additional development rights”. The additional FSI also puts enormous pressure on Mumbai’s already strained infrastructure, particularly water supply and electricity,” he said, adding that he would approach the court if the practice continued.
Viren Shah, project manager from the NVK team said, “We have received the SRA’s MRTP notice just today.
