Residents Of Age-Old Buildings To Get More Rights

Bangalore: The impact of the suggested reforms in the co-operative sector on housing societies is being questioned, but the amendment is expected to enhance the redevelopment of dilapidated cessed buildings in the city.  It will make the development of co-operative societies a fundamental right, reports Hindustan Times.

With this amendment, tenants living in these dilapidated cessed buildings can form their own society that means there will be better representation and rights. This process will also help lakhs of people who are residing in such buildings and can actively participate in the redevelopment process.

To bring transparency and autonomy to co-operative sector is the main aim of the 97^th Amendment to the constitution. However, this amendment will come into effect from 15^th February of this year.

“The amendment will have a positive impact on the redevelopment scheme,” said Ramesh Prabhu, chairman, Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association (MSWA). “There will be committee in place which would examine the proposals as well as negotiate with builders,” reports Hindustan Times.  

For cessed buildings, decisions are made by landlords, which is not in case of co-operative societies. Now, tenants of these old buildings have to depend on informal committees to represent their interests. “Here, the managing committee will be elected through elections conducted by a state government representative,” said Vinod Sampat, a city-based advocate.

In the financial capital, several old buildings are lying under dilapidated condition and have not received any kind of redevelopment since many years. But the redevelopment projects need consent of landlords and tenants consents of 70 percent, which in turn is a time consuming process. Besides, such old buildings have been spread over small plots, which diverting the developers in a big way.

However the landlords are not amused. “It is already a herculean task to gain consent from tenants for revamp projects. If such a society is formed, it would create more complications,” said BR Bhattad, executive president, Property Owners Association.