Latest news with #GodfreyPimenta
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
BMC to introduce new policy for development of ‘iconic buildings' in city
Eyeing to promote world-class architecture in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has charted plans to introduce a new policy which will pave the way for the development of 'iconic buildings' in Mumbai. On Tuesday, the civic body invited suggestions and objections from citizens to its proposal to modify the prevailing Development Control and Promotion Regulation (DCPR) 2034 to introduce a new regulation – 33(27). While the public can send in their suggestions and objections over a period of one month, the proposal has drawn flak from a section of activists. Earlier in March, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had announced plans for iconic buildings in Mumbai, following which the urban development department had proposed a new chapter in the DCPR in 2034. In a bid to make the provision, the BMC on Tuesday floated the proposal to introduce a new regulation — 33 (27) — which pertains to the development of 'iconic buildings'. According to the proposal, a building or a premises will be eligible to be deemed 'iconic' if they have 'unique and distinctive characteristics' owing to their shape, size, aesthetics, look, concept, theme, architectural or structural design among others. As per the clauses, no residential building will be eligible for the category with at least 40 per cent of the building remaining open to the public through some fee-based system. The proposals for a building's iconic status will be approved by a six-member scrutiny committee, which will be lead by the civic municipal commissioner, and comprise famed members from the global architectural field, visual art, a leading personality from the business industry as well as the director of the Town Planning in Maharashtra and the Chief Engineer of the Development Plan BMC's development plan department. Once enforced, the scrutiny committee will inspect the proposal and then submit the proposal to the government body for principal approval. According to officials, the project proponent of a private property who submits their bid for the iconic status will be mandated to have a minimum of 1 million sqm of BUA completed or have a minimum turnover of Rs 5,000 crore per year in the last three financial years. Speaking to The Indian Express, senior officials said that the objective of the proposal is to elevate Mumbai's existing skyline by creating new points of attraction. 'The proposal has been initiated by the government of Maharashtra while the BMC issued the notification for modification. Across the globe, we see many iconic buildings with towers that have viewing points and public spaces like malls,' said a BMC official. However, activists including Godfrey Pimenta have alleged that the definition of 'iconic buildings' remains very vague. Writing to the chief engineer of the Development Plan department in BMC, Pimenta wrote, 'The state government has retained power to grant additional FSI on payment of premium at a rate of 50% of land rate. Mischievously there is no cap as to how much FSI can be granted by state government. We have strong reasons to believe that the new Regulation is tailor-made to suit the requirements of few pre-determined developers.'
Hindustan Times
21-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Forest dept inspects Bandra Fort's ‘unauthorised' renovation
MUMBAI: The historic Bandra Fort, also known as Castella de Aguada, has allegedly suffered significant and potentially irreversible damage due to unauthorized repair and renovation work carried out within the sensitive Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ-IA), according to a complaint filed by Watchdog Foundation, an NGO. Concerned citizens and heritage conservationists have been raising the alarm over violations that have allegedly compromised the structural and historical integrity of this 17th-century landmark. Following up on the complaint, the forest guard in Versova carried out a panchnama of the Grade I heritage structure and visited the site on Friday to inspect for CRZ violations. Concerned citizens alleged that the renovation work being carried out at the Bandra Fort is turning out to be detrimental to its structural and historical integrity. Advocate Godfrey Pimenta, who was present at the site, told HT that the fort's walls were plastered with cement and paint instead of basalt stone, marring the heritage look. 'This complaint was made four months back but a site visit was done by the forest department and Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee today (Friday) to inspect the CRZ violations.' Built by the Portuguese in 1640, this iconic watchtower, overlooking Mahim Bay, once served as a strategic outpost for Portuguese naval operations. It has since become a symbol of Mumbai's colonial history and cultural richness. A previous conservation initiative was spearheaded in 2003 by the Bandra Bandstand Residents' Trust under the leadership of former member of parliament Shabana Azmi. It successfully stabilized the structure and prevented further erosion-related damage. That project followed internationally accepted conservation principles and aimed to preserve the fort's authenticity. However, recent unauthorized renovations have undermined those efforts, said Pimenta. 'Walls have been plastered and sections of the structure repaired using methods deemed inappropriate for a Grade I heritage site. According to heritage regulations, no work – whether development, redevelopment, or even cosmetic repairs like plastering or painting – can be undertaken on such protected sites without explicit, written approval from relevant authorities, including the Mumbai Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), the Heritage Conservation Committee, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and the BMC,' added Pimenta. According to Pimenta, the unauthorised renovation work, including plastering and structural modifications, has altered the original character and materials of the fort, compromising its authenticity. He alleged standard conservation protocols were ignored, resulting in the loss of significant architectural features that form the fort's historic identity. 'Such violations not only constitute a breach of legal protections but also represent a grave cultural and civic failure. Experts warn that if such practices continue unchecked, Mumbai risks losing other irreplaceable heritage landmarks to similar negligence.' The forest guard in Borivali told HT that while prima facie there were no violations and a detailed report on the visit will be submitted next week.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Eight yrs after inception, 7,310 plaints in MahaRERA backlog
Eight years after its formation in 2017,the state's real estate regulator, MahaRera, is still grappling with a significant backlog of unresolved complaints. Of 29,374 complaints filed so far, 7,310 remain pending, prompting calls from homebuyers, legal experts, and activists for faster redressal and stricter enforcement of orders. Although MahaRera has resolved 21,888 cases and holds online and offline hearings, the increasing number of unresolved cases has alarmed consumer groups. They stressed the need for appointment of more adjudicating officers and setting up of regional benches to manage the growing caseload. MahaRera has registered over 50,000 real estate projects — the highest among state regulators — with nearly 50% of them located in Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Pune. However, stakeholders argued that this operational scale has not been matched by adequate capacity to address consumer grievances. Currently, MahaRera has one chairperson, two members, and three adjudicating officers. Activist Godfrey Pimenta of the Watchdog Foundation pointed out that this limited setup cannot cope with the volume of complaints. "Some complaints take two to three years, and in exceptional cases, up to five years to be resolved — despite the law requiring them to be addressed within six months. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo To effectively clear the growing backlog, there is an urgent need to increase the number of MahaRera members," he said. Shirish Deshpande, chairman of Mumbai Grahak Panchayat, added that section 20 of Real Estate Regulatory Authority Act gives the state full freedom to appoint more MahaRera chairpersons and establish additional benches. "It's been eight years since MahaRera was established, and yet we are witnessing an alarming backlog of cases, which is deeply disappointing for those who once supported its creation," he said. He explained that complaints typically fall into two categories: "First, is when homebuyers are seeking exit from the project and demanding refund with interest due to delay in getting possession. Second, is when homebuyers want to continue with the project despite delays but want interest on the amount they have paid as per section 18 of the Act. In both these cases, it should not take long for the authority to pass orders, since the interest rate is already prescribed in the Rera rules. Such matters can be disposed of expeditiously..." Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Time of India
‘15 RTI pleas, protests & a long legal battle'
Mumbai: Advocate Godfrey Pimenta, upon learning of Kurla's Hotel City Kinara fire that killed eight in Oct 2015, said they promptly decided to hold a dharna outside the Vinoba Bhave Nagar police station, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible. Despite being threatened with arrest for holding the protest, they proceeded with it, joined by grieving parents. "Subsequently, we submitted 15 to 20 applications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, seeking extensive documentation from the licence department and the buildings and factories department of the BMC, Mumbai fire brigade, HPCL, and other relevant agencies. Equipped with substantial information obtained through the RTI Act, we filed a formal complaint with Maharashtra Lokayukta, seeking compensation for the bereaved families. We also organised protests at Kurla, and held a dharna at Azad Maidan, demanding a CBI inquiry," said Pimenta. In a gesture reminiscent of Munnabhai MBBS, he said they left flower bouquets along with 'Get Well Soon' placards outside the home of the then municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta. In Feb 2017, the Lokayukta granted a compensation of Rs 1 lakh. Pimenta said they then approached Bombay High Court. "We are deeply gratified by the recent judgment and would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to senior counsel Naushad Engineer and his team, as well as advocate Jayesh Mestry, who appeared pro bono in support of this just cause."tnn
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
BMC to spend 154cr to fill potholes; lags in desilting
Mumbai: This monsoon, the BMC will spend nearly Rs 154 crore on pothole repairs. BMC officials said this sum is allocated for roads which are yet to be concretised and are under asphalt or paver blocks. Large-scale road concretisation works have been going on in the city for the past two years to make roads pothole-free. Civic officials have justified the allocation by pointing out the amount is significantly lower than last year's Rs 205 crore. Advocate and activist Godfrey Pimenta said while immediate pothole repairs are essential for ensuring road safety during heavy rain, the recurring nature of these fixes highlights systemic inefficiencies. "Temporary solutions should never be prioritised over durable, long-term infrastructure improvements," he said. BMC officials, though, said the allocation is necessary as several roads are still not under the defect liability period (DLP). "The contractor is required to maintain roads under DLP," said an official. Every monsoon, the BMC allocates a certain amount for filling potholes. Residents have questioned the rationale, arguing if road works improve conditions, the need for such a large pothole-filling budget should have reduced further. "As the BMC is spending thousands of crores on road concretisation, one would expect the works to be of superior quality. The BMC plan to spend another Rs 150 crore on filling potholes is completely unjustified. As citizens, we want to know how much has been recovered so far from road concretisation contractors for shoddy work and not completing works on time," said Mandeep Singh Makkar from Chandivali Citizens Forum. Dhaval Shah from the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association said the issue is pothole filling doesn't last one monsoon season. "The expenses made for pothole filling should be audited so that taxpayers' funds are used wisely, and the defect liability period should be introduced for a longer period in the contract so that any reappearance makes the contractor liable to refill it at his expense," he said. Meanwhile, even as May has ended, the BMC is yet to complete 100% of its pre-monsoon desilting work. Its own public dashboard states as of June 3 (Tuesday), only 76.96% of the desilting target was achieved, with 7.46 lakh metric tonne of silt removed of the total estimated 9.69 lakh MT. In case of Mithi river, desilting stood at 55.57%. Officials blame the delay on a probe into Mithi desilting contracts.
