Maharashtra Forms Authority to Boost Self-Redevelopment

03 Oct 2025 CW Team

The Maharashtra government on Monday set up a Self-Redevelopment Authority to help citizens redevelop old buildings without relying on builders, giving a major push to housing societies in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

BJP legislator Pravin Darekar, who also heads the Mumbai District Central Cooperative Bank, has been appointed president of the new body and accorded ministerial status. Darekar has long advocated self-redevelopment through the cooperative banking system.

The decision follows the state cabinet’s approval of the New Housing Policy four months ago, which included the creation of a dedicated support cell and allocated Rs 20 billion for the initiative. The authority will provide end-to-end assistance, including planning, funding, developer selection and execution, enabling societies to manage projects independently, a housing department official said.

While Monday’s order did not detail the authority’s structure, officials indicated that a second notification would clarify membership and functioning.

According to CREDAI-MCHI, more than 25,000 buildings across MMR are eligible for redevelopment, representing a project value of over Rs 300 billion.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has already waived interest on premiums for self-redevelopment projects until March 2026 and announced subsidised loans for housing societies. He also sought Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah’s support through the National Cooperative Development Corporation.

Darekar had earlier chaired a study group to examine challenges in self-redevelopment, which recommended granting societies an additional 10 per cent carpet area and extending the scheme to cluster redevelopment. It also proposed reducing the minimum project area requirement from 4,000 sq m to 2,000 sq m.

Infrastructure Energy

23 Oct 2025

GAIL to Set Up Bengaluru CBG Plant Under New Concession Pact

GAIL (India) Limited has signed a 20-year concession agreement with the Bengaluru City Municipal Corporation (BBMP) to set up a compressed biogas (CBG) plant in the city. The project, expected to produce around 10 tonnes of CBG daily, will utilise municipal solid waste as feedstock, contributing to clean energy generation and efficient waste management. The CBG produced will be used in GAIL’s City Gas Distribution network to promote cleaner fuel usage. The initiative aligns with the government’s Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme and GAIL’s broader ..

Uttarakhand HC Lifts 31-Year Ban on ONGC’s Contractual Hiring

The Uttarakhand High Court has lifted a 31-year-old ban on the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) from hiring contractual workers, a restriction imposed in 1993. The decision enables ONGC’s Dehradun establishment to employ personnel on a contractual basis to meet operational requirements. The long-standing prohibition had limited ONGC’s ability to fill vacancies in its technical and administrative departments, often leading to project delays and higher dependence on outsourcing. With the court’s directive, the public sector enterprise can now proceed with temporary recruitments whil..

JSW Energy’s Utkal Unit Bags 400 MW, 25-Year Power Supply Deal

JSW Energy Limited announced that its subsidiary, JSW Energy (Utkal) Limited, has secured a Letter of Award (LoA) from Karnataka’s Power Company of Karnataka Limited (PCKL) for the supply of 400 MW of electricity for 25 years. The agreement is part of a competitive bidding process for long-term procurement of power to meet the state’s growing energy demand. The 400 MW capacity will be supplied from JSW Energy’s upcoming thermal power project in Odisha. This development strengthens JSW Energy’s presence in the southern market and aligns with its strategy to enhance long-term contracte..