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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.

Sunetra Pawar in a crowd 50-plus contenders

Mumbai:  The Nationalist Congress Party’s efforts for a walkover in Baramati Assembly by its President and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar may be a pipe-dream.

 

The by-poll has attracted a veritable circus of over 50-candidates with more than 60 nomination forms filed – negating the NCP’s public postures for an ‘unopposed election’ that created much political badmouthing.

 

As per Election Commission of India data, a total of 58 nominations were filed of which six were rejected on various grounds.

 

That leaves a whopping 50-plus nominees comprising independents or small parties still remaining in the fray, including the main rival, Congress-Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi’s formidable Adv. Akash M. More.

 

Nevertheless, NCP bigwigs are hopeful that many more, especially the non-serious candidates may fall by the wayside tomorrow – April 9 being the last date for withdrawals.

 

As Sunetra Pawar jostles in a crowd of contenders, many from the Mahayuti, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, her son Parth A. Pawar and other leaders have been publicly clamouring for a ‘consensus’ in memory of the late Ajit A. Pawar – who was killed in an aircrash on Jan.28.

 

Faced with the embarrassing predicament after the Congress gave a brutal tongue-lash to Parth Pawar for his utterances, now the NCP leaders have attempted to change the narrative.

 

Claiming that Sunetra Pawar’s victory is guaranteed, the effort now is to target a “historic mandate, with the highest number of votes polled and the widest margin over the nearest rival”, breaking records not only for Baramati Assembly segment but also of all the previous Pawar clan members who have won it.

 

Intended to be a solemn by-poll – necessitated after the tragic demise of the incumbent, Ajit Pawar, a 8-term MLA and 6-time DyCM – it has degenerated into a cacophony-cum-slanging match between the ruling Mahayuti and Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi.

 

While NCP Working President Praful Patel has reached out to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for withdrawing Adv. More’s candidature, the state unit led by Harshawardhan Sapkal has maintained a tough posture.

 

“If public sentiments matter so much, then what about the peoples’ doubts regarding the (Baramati) plane crash… Why is the government not registering a FIR in the matter,” Sapkal shot back today.

 

Even as some Congress leaders like Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe and others hinted at withdrawing from the by-poll race, Parth Pawar’s unexpected onslaught on the grand old party again soured the atmosphere.

 

As a massive row boiled over, the Nationalist Congress Party (SP)’s Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, Rohit R. Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders like Sanjay Raut and others sided with the Congress and justified its decision to field Adv. More in Baramati – rankling the NCP.

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