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.

Dog lovers differ on SC order

Minal Sancheti
May 20
3 min read

Mumbai: The Supreme Court’s Tuesday order on the euthanasia for the dogs that are rabid or are aggressive and dangerous has evoked a mixed reactions from animal lovers in Mumbai.

Pooja Sathe Gawande, a dog trainer, sees the order as a positive rule not just for the humans but also for the animal, who would otherwise go through a lot of pain. “The order is in the public interest for their health and safety. So the dogs that have rabies or are incurably ill, which means they cannot be cured at any private hospital or government hospital, should be euthanized,” she told ‘The Perfect Voice’.

“They have also mentioned that each state and union territory needs to have at least one working animal birth control centre. First of all, they need to set that up and get the animal birth control going on,” she said.

Shirin Dhabhar, a canine behaviourist and trainer, agrees to euthanasia in the case of terminally ill or injured dogs who are in a lot of pain. She said, “For rabies, there is no cure, and it’s a very painful disease, so it is much kinder to let the animal go. Dogs who meet terrible accidents that break their spines, and if the dog cannot be repaired or has a poor quality of life, then we should put them down peacefully. But it has to be done humanely with the veterinarian.”

Sarika Nerurkar, a photographer who has taken pictures of animal rescuers and activists across the country, differs. She said, “To be very honest, this entire situation just leaves me with a lot of questions. Who decides which dogs are to be euthanised? How does someone decide if a dog is actually rabid? What are the checks and controls in place to make sure this power isn’t misused? Because these are still living beings we’re talking about. And then I keep wondering, where does their right to life go in all of this? What about the lives of animals that literally cannot speak, advocate, or fight for themselves?”

Nerurkar said, “I understand that public safety is important, of course it is, but it feels deeply unfair and heartbreaking when the solution starts becoming the elimination of the weakest and most defenseless beings in society. Especially in a country where so many strays survive only because ordinary people choose to feed them, care for them, vaccinate them, and protect them. For me, this feels less like a solution and more like fear being imposed on beings that have no voice in the matter. And that’s what makes this so sad.”

Silent Death

The Supreme Court order also talks about killing dogs that cause harm to humans due to severe aggression and behaviour issues. The animal lovers differ on this point too. Gawande said, “Enforcing and blankly saying that removing all the dogs from the premises of railway stations, hospitals, and other places is not practically possible. The government cannot take all the dogs and dump them somewhere. They are living things and not dead objects.”

Dhabhar believes there is a lot of grey area in the matter. “When it comes to aggressive dogs, there is a lot of ambiguity because behaviour is not necessarily black and white. The key question is who is determining that the dog is dangerous here. The dog can bite for reasons like fear, the animal can be in pain, or maybe it's the mother dog protecting the baby. This could be one of the reasons, but it doesn’t mean that the dog will bite repeatedly. So who decides whether they are aggressive or not?”

Another animal lover Sandhya Wagle said, “As far as aggression is concerned, it can be cured by medicines. Also, they are not aggressive on their own; they are made aggressive. Animals can be made aggressive by human influence. So if you make an animal chase or bite, or try to catch, they can do it. If there are breeds that are aggressive, they can be calmed down by medicines.”

An animal lover Erum Ali Qureshi said, “The idea for removing stray dogs from their places is wrong as they can relocate healthy, sterilised dogs from their territory, which they have been protecting for years. When you do that, you create a vacuum and invite unvaccinated dogs into the ecosystem. If you say you will kill every dog that will come in place, after a few generations, the dog will become aggressive and so feral that you will not be able to catch them, as they will become defensive. Then they will bite people.”