MUMBAI: In a major relief for slum dwellers, the state cabinet on Wednesday took a decision to reduce the flat transfer fee in slum rehabilitation units by 50%. Currently the transfer fee is Rs 1 lakh, now it will be Rs 50,000.
Officials said that Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) flats are provided free of cost to slum dwellers. “However, a transfer fee of Rs 1 lakh is charged along with stamp duty while transferring it, which is selling it after the prescribed time limit. Due to this, the buyer of the flat becomes financially burdened. This has now been cut by 50%,” an official said.
Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis had made an announcement on this at a conference of cooperative housing societies in Mumbai in May this year. The premium is to be paid to the housing society. Fadnavis, while speaking at a seminar on self-redevelopment, had also said it would be mandatory for builders to pay one year rent in advance.
In SRA schemes, then housing minister Jitendra Award had in 2020 announced that slum dwellers could sell their houses in five years instead of 10 years. The decision was taken on a recommendation made by a cabinet sub-committee constituted in 2017 to examine the policy on sale and purchase of SRA tenements. The sub-committee was headed by then housing minister Prakash Mehta.
Under the SRA scheme, slum-dwellers get houses free of cost but they are not allowed to sell or rent them out for 10 years. If sold after the lock-in period, the government was entitled to an amount equivalent to stamp duty or Rs 1 lakh, whichever is higher. Now this amount has been reduced to Rs 50,000.
Officials said slum dwellers can now sell their flats after the lock-in period and move elsewhere or use the money to buy bigger homes.
