Half of the Buildings in Mumbai Lack OC
Almost 50% of buildings in Mumbai that have received an approval for construction are lacking occupation certificate (OC) according to a latest data. The data was obtained using the Right to Information (RTI) Act by activists in Mumbai.
According to the data obtained, approximately 13,300 proposals for construction were cleared in the last nine years, but less than 6,900 of them were issued occupations certificates.
What is an OC
An occupation certification is a critical document issued by the municipal corporation to a builder once the building is complete. This document is issued to certify that the building is compliant with the approved drawings of the plan, and has followed the building codes and laws. Hence, only a building constructed according to approved norms can obtain the occupation certificate. Without an OC, the building can be termed illegal.
The certificate plays a key role if the builder expects the building to be occupied by tenants and buyers. Buildings without an OC find it hard to get sanitary and water connection. Banks to ask for a building’s OC before they disburse loan to a potential customer. The Bombay High Court also has termed it illegal to move into a building, which doesn’t have an OC.
Half of Mumbai buildings lack OC
According to the data pulled out through the RTI Act, between 2003-04 and 2012-13, roughly 14,370 building proposals were submitted to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). However, only about 13,300 buildings had received a commencement certificate (CC). Out of these, only about 6,880 buildings had received an OC.
Activists who sought this data claimed that these types of data are not usually put up online or made accessible to the public. They also claimed that while the officials of the civic body are usually in a hurry to issue CCs and IODs (intimation of disapproval), they do not care much when it comes to issuing OCs. As a result, many gullible citizens are taken for a ride by developers. The activists are now urging the BMC to put these details for public access once every three months.
