Builders sell parking space as flat area, mint crores…….Nauzer K Bharucha & Clara Lewis
MUMBAI: Unscrupulous builders in the city have hit upon a new con to mint big money. These developers, allegedly with the connivance of the BMC’s building proposals department, get plans sanctioned for car parking decks on each floor and then sell off the space as part of your apartment.
The practice, which has been in vogue for a few years, has picked up pace of late, especially between Bandra (W) and JVPD. The idea is simple, if downright venal: Say you will allow every flat buyer to take his or her car right up to their flat—be it on the 10th or 15th floor—via a car lift. This reserved parking space is not included in the building’s floor space index (FSI) or the total area that the builder is allowed to construct. The builder then surreptitiously sells off this space by amalgamating it with the flat, pocketing crores in the bargain.
“Everyone knows that nobody will take his or her car to the 15th floor. Some corrupt BMC officers are taking Rs 50 lakh for passing the building plans and Rs one crore for issuing the occupation certificate,’’ alleged a prominent city developer.
One of the most blatant cases that has come to light is an upcoming 11-storey luxury building on Gulmohar Road in JVPD. The local residents’ association dug out plans using the Right to Information Act to unearth, what they claimed, were gross violations. The building proposals department has approved a mind-boggling 386 car parks in this building for just 33 flats.
Besides basement and podium parking, the builder, Praful Satra, has been allowed to construct nine car park decks on each floor of the building, which will have three wings of 11 floors each. JVPD residents and civic activists who are pursuing this case with the BMC and the state government have pointed out that although the carpet area of each flat is shown as roughly 1,500 sq ft in size, the builder has shown a saleable area of 5,000 sq ft. Prospective flat buyers are being told that they have the option of converting this parking space into their living room. When contacted, Satra’s staff said he was out of the city and would not be available for the next one week.
Asked to comment on this malpractice, developer Sunil Mantri, president of the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry, said, “Car parking has to be underground in the basement or at a multi-level. Taking the car higher to your flat does not make sense. I have not seen this in any building abroad. The government should take a decision on this.’’
Film-maker and activist Ashoke Pandit, secretary of Gulmohar Area Societies Welfare Group, said, “This is a test case for us. All redevelopment projects in this area are now under our scanner. The BMC has given all sorts of concessions to this project. We are demanding that the officers who gave such sanctions be suspended. The documents moved at lightning speed. Eight different officers signed this particular file in just one day. This is a clear case of corruption.’’
Pandit added, “Considering that property prices in JVPD are around Rs 20,000 a sq ft, the builder stands to gain Rs 200 crore just by selling this so-called parking area.’’
Architect-activist and JVPD resident P K Das said, “There are three otherbuildings in this locality with the same kind of permissions. The FSI in some of these projects is going upto 6 and 7.’’ According to him, the builder is drawing immense benefits from this daylight robbery. “The BMC does not get development fees, the city does not get its due and only the developer profits by selling these areas which are free of FSI,’’ he said.
A local property broker said as many as 28 proposals with car decks are in the pipeline in JVPD alone.
A local property broker said as many as 28 proposals with car decks are in the pipeline in JVPD alone.
BMC director (special engineering and projects) Ashok Shintre said the administration recently doubled the parking space in new buildings. “There is a demand for more parking. What finally happens between the builder and the flat purchaser does not fall in our domain. Our department has only to ensure that the plans are as per the building specifications,’’ he said.
N S Lalaji, then executive engineer, K-West, building proposal department, said he had moved the proposal for various concessions on the directions of the then municipal commissioner (Jairaj Phatak). “Satra’s architect made a representation to the commissioner and I was given directions to put up the file with the proposals, which I did. It was a long time ago and I don’t remember much about the project,’’ he said.