MUMBAI: The BMC’s online lottery for 426 homes across the city received only 2,037 applications, indicating a tepid response.
The highest interest was seen for the 14 homes in Marol, which garnered 937 applications. This was followed by 393 applications for 46 homes in Kandivali and 189 for 19 homes in Goregaon. The flats, ranging from Rs 55 lakh to Rs 1 crore, are situated in Kandivali, Bhandup, Byculla, Kanjurmarg, Jogeshwari, and Goregaon, targeted at applicants from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Low-Income Group (LIG) categories, with an expected revenue of around Rs 308 crore from sales.
In comparison, lotteries held by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) have drawn significantly higher application numbers. For example, the MHADA Konkan Board’s draw on October 11 for 5,354 flats and 77 plots received a staggering 1,84,994 applications, with 1,58,424 including earnest money deposits.
The BMC’s tenements are procured under Regulation 15 of the Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034, which requires developers of residential projects on plots of 4,000 sq m or more to allocate a section of built-up area for affordable housing.
Additional flats were obtained under Regulation 33(20)(b), incentivizing the development of affordable housing on private or non-government plots. Previously, these homes were allocated through MHADA’s lottery system, but to enhance efficiency, BMC opted to manage the draw independently this time. Furthermore, conducting the sales process directly allows the BMC to avoid processing fees typically associated with MHADA.
The final list of eligible applicants will be made public on November 18 at 5 p.m., with the lottery draw scheduled for November 20 at 5 p.m. The names of successful and waitlisted applicants will be announced on November 21 at 5 p.m.
