More than 1200 flats have no takers

The city has a shortfall of over 3 lakh affordable housing units while around 1,296 flats under the control of Pune Municipal Corporation are lying vacant due to the apathy of the civic body. As per the state government’s affordable housing policy 2013, every builder developing a housing project on one acre of land or above has to reserve 20% of flats for the economically weaker section and lower income groups. This policy is applicable in cities with over 10 lakh population which include Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik and Nagpur. As per the PMC’s own data, the civic body has 2,961 such flats under its control as per the policy. Out of these flats, about 1,665 are occupied, while 1,296 are lying vacant. The information was revealed by the corporation in a written answer tabled before the general body (GB) of the PMC. “These flats are allocated to project-affected people. The civic body has to get possession of some of these flats, while some are yet to be acquired. The PMC is compiling the information,” PMC said in a written reply. “There are many pending projects in the city that have failed to take off due to issues relating to rehabilitation of slum dwellers. These flats should be allocated to the affected people so that project work could be started. But the civic body is not taking adequate steps. It is poor property management,” said Vivek Velankar of Sajag Nagrik Manch.