Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA): A Committee for the Welfare of Slum Dwellers

Slum Rehabilitation Authority is a committee formed by the Government of Maharashtra to look after the conditions of slum dwellers. The authority ensures that people living in the slums of Mumbai are at least equipped with basic amenities.      

 The slum rehabilitation scheme uses the land as a resource and allows incentive Floor Space Index (FSI) in the form of tenements to be sold in the open market. It is done to cross-subsidise the slum rehabilitation tenements, which are supposed to be offered to the slum dwellers free of cost. 

So, if you are somebody who wants a flat in the SRA building but is baffled about the eligibility criteria, SRA projects, SRA scheme, and more, then you are at the right place. Stay with us until the end of this blog since most of your queries are addressed here. 

Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA)

A 2011 census report suggests that around 64 million people and 13.8 million households are located in the slum city of India. This number is continuously rising every year. Such parameters hamper the overall development of a city. 

Contemplating this, the Maharashtra government introduced an amendment to the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act. Moreover, it also established a nodal agency called Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA). 

SRA brought forth a Slum Rehabilitation Programme that studies the prevailing conditions of slum dwellers and slum areas in the city. After investigation, the committee plans the rehabilitation of those identified slum areas and ensures that the scheme planned is executed to the best of SRA’s abilities. 

The SRA allows rehabilitation of slum-dwellers in-situ and compensates the developer and landowner by awarding them with TDR (Transferable Development Rights). 

Role and Functions : Slum Rehabilitation Authority

The SRA aims at implementing the slum rehabilitation schemes by offering a single-window clearance. The clearance is for all kinds of permits that are essential for the project, namely the certification of eligibility of slum-dwellers, formation of co-operative societies, leasing of rehabilitation plots and free-sale plots, updating of property cards (PR cards), and taking punitive action on non-participating slum dwellers.     

The duties, functions and powers of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority are to:-

• Formulate schemes for rehabilitation of slum areas. 
• Survey and review prevailing positions associated with Slum areas in Mumbai.
• Get the slum rehabilitation scheme enforced. 

What are SRA Flats?

The SRA flats are tenements or flats offered by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority, Mumbai, to the slum dwellers. Typically, SRA flats are categorised into two types: the first one is where a slum dweller receives an SRA flat after surrendering his existing home. On the other hand, it is the second one where builders in the open market sell the tenements.      

Is It Possible to Buy SRA Flats?

The Slum Rehabilitation Authority has issued certain guidelines pertaining to buying and selling of SRA flats. Those are as follows:

• SRA flats come with a lock-in period that prevents beneficiaries from selling the allotted SRA flats for 10 years. 
• The original seller cannot purchase any SRA flats.
• Only a domicile certificate holder can buy an SRA flat. Moreover, the domicile’s family must not own or possess any other house within the suburban areas of Mumbai. 
• If the beneficiary sells the property after 10 years, the state government has all the authority to get a share in the sale value, which is called the transaction fee. It can be deemed necessary during the property registration. The transaction fee is equivalent to the stamp duty of ₹ 1 lakh, whichever is higher. 

Eligibility for Buying SRA Flats

Before you file an application for the SRA flat, ensure that you fulfil the eligibility criteria as mentioned below:-

• The buyer should mandatorily have a domicile certificate.
• If you are a buyer, you must not be the original beneficiary or else you won’t be able to buy the SRA flat.
• The buyer must fall under the EWS (Economically Weaker Section), MIG (Middle Income Group) or LIG (Lower Income Group). 
• The sale deed must be in the name of the husband and wife, if applicable. 
• The buyer and his family members should not have any house within Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) limits. 
• Any organisation or partnership firm isn’t allowed to purchase SRA homes. 

List of SRA Projects in Mumbai

The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has a total of 1481 projects in its bucket. Some of them are as follows:-

For a complete list of SRA projects, you can view their official website and click on the “Our Projects” section in the menu bar. 

Slum Rehabilitation Authority Online Center

SRA Authority has built its own website to help people register for an SRA flat online. Moreover, the portal renders you particulars of all the schemes launched by the authority. You can gather information about the ongoing, upcoming, and previous SRA projects. 

The website also consists of all the notifications and the entire Act, all the circulars, etc. You can also file grievances online if you have any.

The SRA online centre allows you to track your letter, view RTI status and more.

In short, the SRA online centre was launched to make people’s jobs easy. 

How to Search SRA Schemes Online?

Slum Rehabilitation Authority, Mumbai, has launched various schemes. The information about those schemes can be easily found on their official website. Let’s find out how:-

Step 1: Visit the official portal of Slum Rehabilitation Authority, Mumbai.

Step 2: Navigate to the “Citizen Services” option available in the menu bar. You will get a drop-down list once you tap that option. Select the “Scheme Information” option over there. 

Step 3: You will be directed to a new page with a list of various schemes. You can filter for a particular one by entering their name in the “Scheme Name” field, “Select the Ward Name”, “Search by Address”, “Search by CTS Number”, etc. 

Step 4: Click on the “action” button to view the information about the particular scheme you want to. 

Step 5: You will be redirected to a new page encompassing various folders. You can open any one of them based on what you are seeking. 

Step 6: Click on the Action tab to view the information in that particular folder/document. 

SRA Eligibility Documents

If you are planning to buy an SRA flat, then you must submit the following documents:

• Identity proof such as Ration Card, Aadhaar Card, etc. 
• Address proof such as the electricity bill, telephone bill, etc.
• Voter ID card
• Photo pass issued by the collector
• Other receipts of rent to be submitted to the concerned municipality
• A domicile certificate to purchase an SRA flat
• A Sale deed in the name of the husband and wife.     

Points to Ponder Before Buying an SRA Mumbai Flat

     Here are a few things that you must know before buying an SRA flat:

• Find out whether the owner possesses a release certificate from the bank. This will ensure that the seller is paying the loan.
• Consult a property lawyer to check the title deed and the property documents.
• Verify the property’s title deed and make sure that you are purchasing from the property’s real or original seller. The deed must be in the name of the seller only. 
• The property ownership transfer will be done only with a duly stamped sale deed. Remember that buying and selling a property through PoA (Power of Attorney) is illegal.       

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)