PUNE: Citizens’ groups have demanded that the state cooperation department start an online portal to register all apartments, on the lines of cooperative housing societies, allowing suggestions of all the members towards the amendment to the Maharashtra Apartment Ownership Act, 1970.
A letter in this regard was sent to the state cooperation department on Aug 30, after the department had called in for suggestions for changes in the Act. Officials said they had received over 150 suggestions in the last month, mostly from Pune, Mumbai, Thane and Nagpur. These suggestions would be submitted to state govt after due discussions with all the stakeholders by Sept-end.
Maharashtra has more than 1 lakh buildings under the Apartment Act.
Deepak Taware, the state cooperation commissioner and the registrar of housing societies, told TOI that the suggestions received were mainly pertained to maintenance, a complaint portal and land transfer issues. The department also intends to study the apartment acts executed in the other states before submitting the final proposal.
“We will consider the suggestions and have another meeting with all the stakeholders before sending the final draft to state govt,” Taware said. He is chairing a 10-member committee that is looking into the feedback to the Act.
The demands have been raised a collective of citizens’ groups, Citizens for Area Sabha, which is mainly focused on policy advocacy, addressing issues that impact civic governance and related matters. One of its members, Ravindra Sinha, said while the initiative seeking suggestions was a good step, there was a need for more representation. “How can a committee provide meaningful recommendations without sufficient information regarding the number of registered or non-registered or functional or dysfunctional apartment associations? How many apartment associations have been contacted or consulted by this committee? If the beneficiaries of these amendments are unaware of the proposed changes to the Act, obtaining first-hand feedback becomes impossible,” the letter to the state cooperation commissioner stated. The Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat too has sent recommendations highlighting various issues regarding the apartment deeds.
THE NEED FOR AMENDMENT
The Apartment Act falls under the department of housing. However, after the 2020 amendment, the department of cooperation has been granted limited authority to address grievances of apartment associations and their members
The deed of declaration is registered by the builder with the sub-registrar. Still, there are no records of this with either the department of housing or the department of cooperation
Consequently, state lacks essential information about the number of registered/non-registered and either functional or dysfunctional apartment associations in Maharashtra, which is critical for undertaking amendments to the Act
In the letter, the members have urged for a more inclusive approach, including an online portal to submit their recommendations
THE DEMANDS
Online portal to collate information about apartments in state
State should collate this information and notify the district deputy registrars
Apartment associations should be provided with necessary documents to formulate their recommendations regarding the Act
Rules to allow the migration of apartment associations to cooperative housing societies
