HC raps CIDCO for withholding society's OC

COURT OBSERVED THAT REJECTION OF THE GRANT OF OCCUPANCY ON THE GROUNDS THAT ESTATE NOC FOR 18 UNITS WAS NOT SUBMITTED BY THE SOCIETY WAS ILLEGAL

- Prateem Rohanekar

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed CIDCO (City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra) to pay a fine of ₹50,000 to a Kharghar-based co-operative housing society for withholding an occupancy certificate (OC) for almost six years.

The court called it "a gross case of glaringly unreasonable and arbitrary approach" as the construction of the building was completed in July 2018, but the occupancy certificate was yet to be granted to 18 members of the Dolphin Co-operative Housing Society.

The society, which initially consisted of 17 members, obtained an allotment letter and construction permission from CIDCO for 18 housing units in 2001, and was later granted a commencement certificate in 2016.