The Police Commissioner of Mumbai proposes to sell 50% of redeveloped apartments to cops.

By Abhay Shah, Realty Quarter

Mumbai police have submitted the State government with a plan to rebuild the Naigaon police quarters and the Light Armed Constabulary headquarters. The plan is primarily designed to sell 50% of the new residential apartments to constables and officers in order to tackle severe housing shortages experienced by the police, proposed by a Police Commissioner, Sanjay Barve.

Home Department sources said the Mumbai police are collectively developing the Naigaon estate with the state police housing corporation. A big portion of the 25-acre estate is a parade field.

There are currently 13 buildings in Naigaon that residence the families of 350 constables. Mumbai cops are preparing to construct 1,700 new houses under the redevelopment scheme. Half of these will be housing units and the remaining will be allocated on an ownership basis to constables and officers. Priority will be given to the constables who stay here. Each flat property will be about 500 sq ft. They would have to sell it to constables if a constable wants to sell his / her apartment. Likewise, for renting a property, the same rules apply. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Kumar said he had obtained and processed a proposition from Barve. Barve said, “We’ve presented a very ambitious plan for the advantage of Mumbai police constables and officers. We’re optimistic that the government will support it.” The Department of State Law and Justice, the Department of Revenue and the Department of Finance were invited to provide suggestions for the project.

The Light Armed police, along with an armoury, will have a separate building in the same complex. “Government initiatives, including housing schemes for government employees, get more FSI. Constables who want to own apartments will have to carry out loans or pay cash in advance and will be used to redevelop the estate. We will also assist them to obtain a loan. We will also maintain insurance cover so that if someone dies during the construction period or at the loan repayment time, there is no financial stress on the constable’s family,” adding to this a police officer said, there is no involvement of a private builder in this project. Barve has also created a 200-meter long underground firing range, and arrangements for underground car parks will also be made. The local MLA Kalidas Kolambkar has also worked on the scheme, who recently transferred from the Congress to the BJP.