Micro-Zoning, RR proposal: A reform opportunity

Mumbai: The government’s proposed introduction of micro-zoning and differentiated Ready Reckoner (RR) rates marks a significant shift in the way property valuations are determined across the state. The initiative, which seeks to assign distinct RR rates to high-rise buildings, slums, chawls and redeveloped properties within the same locality, has largely been welcomed by the real estate sector. Industry stakeholders, however, caution that the reform’s effectiveness will depend less on its...

min read

Micro-Zoning, RR proposal: A reform opportunity

Mumbai: The government’s proposed introduction of micro-zoning and differentiated Ready Reckoner (RR) rates marks a significant shift in the way property valuations are determined across the state. The initiative, which seeks to assign distinct RR rates to high-rise buildings, slums, chawls and redeveloped properties within the same locality, has largely been welcomed by the real estate sector. Industry stakeholders, however, caution that the reform’s effectiveness will depend less on its intent and more on the framework governing its implementation. The proposal comes at a time when property markets in major urban centres, particularly Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), are witnessing increasingly diverse development patterns within the same neighbourhoods. Experts argue that uniform RR rates often fail to capture the substantial variations in infrastructure quality, redevelopment status, accessibility and market demand that exist even within small geographical pockets. Real estate professionals believe that a micro-zoning approach could help bridge the gap between official property valuations and actual market realities. More accurate valuation mechanisms can improve transparency in transactions, provide a fairer basis for stamp duty calculations and create a more nuanced framework for urban planning. Experts’ Comments Kamlesh Thakur, President, NAREDCO Maharashtra and Co-Founder & Managing Director, Srishti Group, believes the concept has merit but warns that the execution framework will determine whether the reform succeeds or creates fresh challenges. “The concept of micro-zoning and differentiated Ready Reckoner rates has the potential to make property valuation more reflective of local market realities and development potential. However, its success will depend entirely on the framework adopted for implementation. Unless there is a clear, transparent and objective policy with well-defined parameters, the introduction of micro-zoning could lead to increased discretion at the administrative level, resulting in uncertainty and inconsistent outcomes,” he said. According to Thakur, valuation systems that allow excessive room for subjective interpretation can generate disputes, create inconsistencies in assessments and undermine business confidence. His concerns reflect a broader industry apprehension that redevelopment projects—already burdened by lengthy approval processes and rising costs—could face additional uncertainty if valuation criteria vary across administrative jurisdictions. Kaushal Agarwal, Chairman, The Guardians Real Estate Advisory, views the proposal as a logical evolution of property valuation practices, particularly in rapidly transforming urban markets. “The move towards differentiated Ready Reckoner rates through micro-zoning is a progressive step, as property values can vary significantly within the same locality depending on factors such as infrastructure, accessibility, building quality and surrounding development. If implemented effectively, it has the potential to make property valuations more realistic and aligned with actual market dynamics,” he said. Transparency, Methodology At the same time, Agarwal emphasized that transparency and data quality will be critical to ensuring credibility. “However, the success of this initiative will depend on the transparency of the methodology, the quality of data used, and the consistency of its application across micro-markets. Buyers, investors, and developers value clarity and predictability in valuation mechanisms. A well-defined and publicly accessible framework will be essential to avoid ambiguity, strengthen market confidence, and ensure that the new system delivers greater accuracy without creating uncertainty in transaction pricing or investment decisions,” he noted. Uniformly Implemented Echoing similar concerns, Dhruman Shah, Promoter, Ariha Group, said the government must ensure that the system remains easy to understand and uniformly implemented. “The move towards micro-zoning reflects an effort to modernize property valuation and make it more representative of actual market conditions. However, it is important that the system remains simple, transparent and uniformly enforced across regions. If multiple layers of interpretation emerge during implementation, it could lead to disputes and delays, particularly for redevelopment projects that already involve complex approval processes. Industry consultation at every stage will help create a practical and effective framework,” Shah said. As the state explores one of the most significant changes to its property valuation mechanism in recent years, the industry appears broadly supportive of the objective. Yet the consensus remains clear: the success of micro-zoning will depend on transparency, consistency and stakeholder consultation. Without these safeguards, a reform intended to improve valuation accuracy could inadvertently introduce new layers of uncertainty into an already complex real estate ecosystem.

Bird-flu outbreak rattles Nandurbar

Quaid Najmi
May 6
3 min read

Around 2.40 lakh hens culled, Nine-lakh eggs destroyed

Mumbai: For the third time in 20 years, Avian Influenza has hit Navapur, in Nandurbar district, with over 2.40 lakhs birds culled in the past few days as worried farmers await compensation and effective vaccines.

In some areas, all the infected birds in big and small farms have been eliminated by specialist teams, as per World Health Organisation (WHO) and central government’s guidelines.

This is the third time after 2006 and 2021 that the town – which produces 10-lakh eggs daily – has come under the attack of Avian Influenza, commonly known as ‘bird flu’, said Navapur Poultry Association (NPA) President Arief Balesaria.

“We rank the biggest in production of eggs by Layer Chicken after Pune and Baramati. There are other egg producing centres in the state. The Layer Chicken are among the best laying hens. But in the past fortnight or so, our production has come to a complete stop,” a concerned Balesaria told The Perfect Voice.

The 10-lakh eggs are sent to markets in Mumbai, Nashik, Jalgaon and even Surat, which will now be fed by other smaller suppliers from Maharashtra or other states, he said.

The outbreak in Navapur started mysteriously on April 12, when a local farmer discovered five dead chickens in his farm. Initially it was suspected to be heatstroke and a local Veterinary prescribed medicines, but by afternoon more than four dozen birds were snuffed out.

By next morning, the farmer lost more than 300 chickens even as other alarmed farmers in a three-km vicinity reported similar tragedies as the birds simply dropped dead without apparent symptoms, said Balesaria.

In Balesaria’s own Wasim Poultry Farm, the situation was ditto – five days after the first incident, he found 55 birds dead and by that evening, over 130 were no more, though the chickens were eating normally and not appearing sick.

After the local authorities were informed, samples were collected from three of the worst-hit farms and tested at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal. They tested positive for the dreaded ‘Avian Influenza’, shocking the poultry farmers in Navapur.

Swift Action

Nandurbar Collector Dr. Mittali Sethi swung into action and declared large parts of Navapur as an ‘infected and surveillance’, spread over nearly 10 kms radius, banned all sale of poultry, bird-feed, and other related materials for three months, and local police were deployed to enforce the restrictions.

Meanwhile, by Monday, the infection figures zoomed up dramatically and till May 6, over 2.40 lakhs birds have been culled, nearly 9-lakh eggs destroyed plus 210 tonnes of bird feed disposed off, said Balesaria of the sudden calamity.

State and district officials have expressed apprehensions that the toll could climb much higher and have enforced strict monitoring in Navapur and also other egg-producing centres in north Maharashtra region.

Culling continues with the help of 18 officers daily while over 125 veterinarians and support staff have fanned out in the affected zone.

His son and third-generation independent farmer Tausif B. is grappling with his first bird-flu calamity and is worried about the future with his entire stock of 6 lakh eggs, 62,000 birds and 72-tons of feed destroyed.

“This time, my farm was not affected. But according to official protocols, my 30,000 chickens were culled and over 60,000 eggs destroyed. The government has banned us from restarting or restocking for at least three months, or till July 31, when the crisis is expected to be over. Presently, we are sitting idle and helpless as the losses pile up for all the 27 NPA member-farms,” rued Balesaria.

Farmers cry for better vaccines

As death stalks egg farms in Navapur, distressed farmers urged the Centre to urgently permit more effective vaccines to contain the spread of Avian Influenza, as existing measures are proving inadequate.

The NPA leaders claimed that the currently approved vaccines target the relatively milder H9N2 strain, while farms in the region are being devastated by the far more lethal H5N1 virus.

“The government has allowed vaccines for H9N2 strain. But the Layer chickens are hit by the deadlier H5N1 strain. Vaccines for H5N1 are already in use in several countries, including China, the United States and parts of Europe. Why are we being denied access to the same protection?” asked the NPA leaders.

India currently does not allow use of H5N1 vaccines, citing various concerns and relies on the traditional culling, movement restrictions and biosecurity measures in such outbreaks, though NPA alleges that Indian vaccine manufacturers are creating obstacles for getting better vaccines.