The Maharashtra government has initiated a Special Investigation Team (SIT) inquiry regarding alleged breaches of affordable housing regulations in Nashik. This action follows a review that revealed 49 residential developments failing to adhere to the mandated 20 percent allocation for economically weaker sections (EWS) and low-income groups (LIG).
A Government Resolution (GR) released by the revenue department on Monday specifies that residential projects within the Nashik Municipal Corporation area, exceeding 4,000 square meters, are obligated to reserve 20 percent of their units for EWS and LIG beneficiaries, which must then be transferred to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA).
The investigation focused on projects approved between 2013 and 2024. Officials indicated that numerous developers manipulated land parcels on paper to reduce project sizes below the required limit. In several instances, there are concerns that land records, layout plans, and associated documents were falsified to obtain approvals while neglecting the quota requirement.
These infractions are estimated to have created a deficit of approximately 4,000 to 6,500 EWS-LIG units that should have been allocated to MHADA.
An FIR has been filed at the Sarkarwada Police Station against 194 developers, with allegations of cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy, according to police sources.
The GR also mandates that accountability be assigned to officials who neglected to enforce the regulations, with subsequent departmental actions to be taken where necessary.
The SIT, led by the Nashik divisional commissioner, will include representatives from various departments such as revenue, registration, police, town planning, and land records. This team is tasked with reviewing project approvals, land transactions, and relevant documentation, with a report expected within a month.
Additionally, the government has instructed departments to take measures to reclaim the requisite share of land or housing units in cases where the 20 percent quota was not fulfilled, in accordance with existing guidelines.
