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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 7:24:18 pm

CIDCO struggles to find takers for its homes

Mumbai: The City and Industrial Development Corporation’s (CIDCO) latest housing scheme has exposed a recurring challenge for the planning authority: finding buyers for its large housing inventory despite its affordable-housing focus. The August 2026 scheme offered 4,793 homes in Taloja, Kharghar and Kalamboli and received 4,180 confirmed applications before bookings closed on September 3. While CIDCO described the response as strong, 613 homes—nearly 13 per cent of the inventory—had no...

CIDCO struggles to find takers for its homes

Mumbai: The City and Industrial Development Corporation’s (CIDCO) latest housing scheme has exposed a recurring challenge for the planning authority: finding buyers for its large housing inventory despite its affordable-housing focus. The August 2026 scheme offered 4,793 homes in Taloja, Kharghar and Kalamboli and received 4,180 confirmed applications before bookings closed on September 3. While CIDCO described the response as strong, 613 homes—nearly 13 per cent of the inventory—had no confirmed applicant. This follows earlier schemes with similar gaps. In January 2025, CIDCO’s ‘My Preferred Home’ scheme, offering around 26,000 homes across Navi Mumbai, attracted 1.36 lakh initial applications. However, only about 55,000 applicants paid the registration fee and around 22,000 deposited the required earnest money, leaving serious participation below the number of homes offered. A CAG-linked report on two CIDCO housing schemes in Kharghar found that, of 4,814 saleable tenements, allotment letters had been issued to 3,733 applicants and possession handed over to 3,317. Four years after the draw, 1,081 tenements remained unsold. CIDCO has also faced scrutiny over marketing expenditure. In 2023, reports questioned the appointment of private agencies to market and allot PMAY homes, stating that the agencies had received advances of more than Rs 100 crore before sales took place. CIDCO officials said external support was necessary given the scale of the programme. The scale of investment adds to the concern. CIDCO’s mass-housing programme envisaged 68,515 homes at an estimated cost of around Rs 15,300 crore. A 2024 report noted that thousands of completed homes were awaiting sale, locking up capital and increasing the authority’s financial burden. The latest homes are located in Taloja Sector 39, Kalamboli Bus Depot and Kharghar Bus Depot. Taloja accounts for 4,229 homes, followed by 257 in Kalamboli and 293 in Kharghar. Indicative prices range from around Rs 23.50 lakh in Taloja to Rs 37.70 lakh in Kalamboli and Rs 43.50 lakh in Kharghar. The figures point to a possible mismatch between what CIDCO considers affordable and what its target buyers can finance. Industry experts have noted that EWS homes priced at Rs 25 lakh or more may be difficult for households within the prescribed income ceiling, particularly after registration, stamp duty, floor-rise charges and other costs. Location may also influence demand. Taloja has seen rapid development and improved connectivity, including metro access, but buyers continue to weigh its distance from established employment centres and social infrastructure, as well as commuting costs. CIDCO maintains that its housing programme meets a genuine need in Navi Mumbai. Ashwin Mudgal, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, CIDCO, said, “The overwhelming response to the housing scheme reflects the aspirations of citizens to own a home in Navi Mumbai and their continued confidence in CIDCO’s planned development initiatives. CIDCO remains committed to providing affordable and quality housing opportunities in well-planned locations, enabling citizens to benefit from the region’s growing infrastructure and connectivity.” The authority has also highlighted the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) subsidy, under which eligible beneficiaries can receive Rs 2.5 lakh, subject to applicable guidelines and eligibility criteria. However, the repeated unsold inventory suggests that CIDCO’s challenge extends beyond construction. Pricing, apartment configurations, location, payment flexibility and connectivity may need to be reassessed before further public resources are committed.

Mumbai University goofs again: Old syllabus question paper given to LLB students



In yet another embarrassing mistake, the University of Mumbai (MU) on Tuesday distributed an outdated question paper for the fifth-semester LLB ATKT (Allowed To Keep Terms) examination. The paper, based on the old syllabus, caused confusion and anxiety among students, who had to wait nearly 30 minutes before the correct one was provided.


The ATKT system lets students move on to the next academic year even if they fail in some subjects, as long as they pass those failed subjects within a set timeframe.


A final-year LLB student who appeared for the Labour Law & Industrial Relations II exam shared their frustration with The Free Press Journal:“


"Getting a question paper from a syllabus that was scrapped over three years ago was heartbreaking. It completely threw us off. Even when the new paper was handed out, our confidence was already shaken. We couldn’t focus properly because we had prepared for the new syllabus.”


While Yuva Sena leaders alleged that around 60 colleges received the wrong paper, the university said the error affected 30 colleges and roughly 2,000 students.


In a statement, the university clarified: “The question paper was dispatched from the handwritten manuscripts section at 9:30 AM. Soon after, the college informed us that the paper was based on the old syllabus. On checking, it turned out that the paper setter had indeed submitted a version based on the outdated syllabus. The link to the paper was immediately deactivated and a new one was sent out. Students were given an extra 30 minutes, and all colleges were notified via phone.”


Yuva Sena senate members, who have repeatedly criticized the university’s examination department and the Centre for Distance and Online Education (CDOE)—formerly the Institute of Distance and Open Learning (IDOL)—again demanded accountability.


“For the past one and a half years, we’ve been asking for a joint meeting to discuss the ongoing mismanagement in MU’s exam department and CDOE. But the administration keeps ignoring us. Even today, during the third-year law exam, fifth-semester students received a paper from the old syllabus. It took 30 minutes to fix this after students raised concerns. This is just the latest in a long list of blunders,” said a Yuva Sena representative.


They also questioned whether the Controller of Examinations and the exam department director would finally take moral responsibility and step down.

This incident follows another recent mistake by MU—just a month ago, it issued degree certificates to the 2023-24 graduating batch with “University of Mumabai” printed under the emblem.

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