Image Credits : DNA

Charging CIDCO & NMMC for corruption and systemic delays in clearance of various real estate development plans, the Builders Association of Navi Mumbai (BANM) protested outside their offices recently. The agitation was sparked by the suicide of Suraj Parmar, a prominent builder on October 7 whose suicide note revealed the harassment he suffered while dealing with various officials for his Thane-based realty projects.

Talking on the subject, Devang Trivedi, BANM said, “there is corruption at various levels in several departments of Cidco and NMMC, causing delays in construction plans.”

The files do not move through a particular department until the officials are given their ‘percentage cuts’, claimed Haresh Chheda, a builder.

The CIDCO spokesperson Mohan Ninawe however, disagreed and said that they are ready to take action against any corrupt official if the affected builders approach them. “We now have a competent vigilance department. Several administrative loopholes also have been tightened to speed up the clearance process. Besides, the number of clearances required to commence a real estate project have been brought down to four from nine earlier. ” He added.

He also stated that the latest online initiative of Cidco, the AutoDCR software, will not only allow them to scrutinize various building plans in advance but also enable developers to showcase their projects properly.