Mumbai: The BMC standing committee on Wednesday approved an amnesty scheme to grant occupation certificates (OC) to buildings which did not have these although families were already residing in them. Less than two weeks ago, members of the standing committee had sought a review of the amnesty scheme.On June 25, the committee had sought clearer provisions, accountability mechanisms for developers and architects, and incorporation of corporators’ suggestions before approving the proposal.The proposal, first tabled in April, was not taken up earlier after committee members expressed reservations over the clause restricting eligibility to housing units with a carpet area of up to 80 sq m or 860 sq ft. BJP Leader of the House Ganesh Khankar said for many years, ordinary Mumbaikars had suffered due to negligence of some builders and architects. In the absence of OCs, citizens have faced various penalties, difficulties in redevelopment and other obstacles, while many buildings have become dilapidated.Standing committee chairman Prabhakar Shinde said the draft incorporating corporators’ suggestions regarding the amnesty scheme had been sent to the state govt on April 15. He said suggestions made by members had not been rejected and were in the interest of Mumbai citizens. However, he questioned whether citizens should be denied immediate relief until those suggestions are implemented.Shinde further said directions for implementing the amnesty scheme were first issued on Dec 11, 2025, and many citizens had been anxiously awaiting the proposal. Approving it now, he said, would provide urgent relief to middle-class and weaker-section families living in homes of up to 80 sq m. According to Shinde, he was hopeful the state govt would take a positive decision on the draft. However, he said the proposal needed to be passed so relief could be granted to Mumbai residents without further delay.Corporator Makarand Narwekar said every Mumbaikar living in a building without an OC was waiting for an amnesty scheme through which their homes could be declared authorised. An amnesty scheme is not a law or statute and cannot override Development Control Regulations (DCR) or the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act. Therefore, fears that dilapidated buildings or those violating fire safety norms would automatically receive OCs are unfounded, Narwekar added.The state urban development department had, in Dec 2025, directed BMC to implement an OC amnesty scheme by extending eligibility cut-off from March 25, 1991 under the earlier scheme to buildings occupied before Nov 17, 2016. As per the scheme, only buildings with approved plans, valid Intimations of Disapproval (IODs) and Commencement Certificates (CCs) would qualify. Residential buildings, hospitals and schools occupied before Nov 17, 2016, will be eligible. For residential properties, the benefit will be restricted to flats measuring up to 80 sq m (around 860 sq ft) of carpet area.The scheme also allows cooperative housing societies, developers and, in certain cases, individual flat owners to apply for OCs through registered architects or licensed surveyors. Applicants will have to furnish proof of occupancy before the cut-off date through property tax records, electricity bills or other official documents. The scheme will not legalise unauthorised constructions but will grant OCs to approved portions of buildings that remained without OCs due to procedural or compliance-related issues.
