Navi Mumbai BOOM OR DOOM

The housing policy announced by our Chief Minister Shri Vilasraoji Deshmukh on 1st of November 2006. It emphasizes most on creating affordable housing for poor throughout the state. To achieve this he has taken bold steps like:
1) Increase of overall FSI,
2) Repeal of ULCRA,
3) Increase of FSI from 2.5 to 4 for slum redevelopment,
4) increase of FSI outside of Mumbai City limits to promote private township development, and many other more initiatives.
The following measures taken will bring some more houses in the market but it may not fulfill the current demand as the availability of housing stock will take time to show and further more the demand will keep rising, hence we would not be able to see prices decreasing in coming years. Also the availability of housing is directly proportional to the availability of urban land which are controlled by big corporates, politicians and other individuals. Throughout Maharashtra land grab is a common phenomenon taking place everywhere with some reason or another.
Land controlled by Government body CIDCO in Navi Mumbai.
Inadequate and inequitable supply of serviced land particularly in urban areas has been the most significant bottleneck for the promotion of housing activities and urban development at large. Almost 100% of land in Navi Mumbai is controlled by CIDCO, but the prices of flats/houses here are in upward trends and Navi Mumbai is the only urban city in Maharashtra wherein CIDCO (A govt. company) controls the supply of land.
If Government is unable to control the rates here which is the most easiest for them because of their control then how can we say that the rates elsewhere in Mumbai or rest of Maharashtra will come down.
Navi Mumbai is conceived and developed keeping in mind to decongest Mumbai, create affordable housing for middle & lower middle groups.
However due to lack of proper implementation and vision the very basic aim is not achieved.The planning authority (CIDCO) does not know when they will be able to complete the development of this city.(I have a letter from CIDCO wherein they say that they do not know when they will complete the development of this city) If any company or Govt. Authority does not know what they are doing or when they will be able to complete certain work how its possible to complete that task. At least we have Planning Commission of India which plans for everything but how much we are successful to implement it depends on the initiatives taken. Assume where would we be if we didn't had our Planning Commission. The planning process is the precious gift of our democracy to the people of India. As Indra Gandhi once put it, planning in our country is a charter of orderly progress. It provides a framework of time and space that binds sectors, regions and States together and relates each year's effort to the succeeding years. By strengthening the social and economic fabric of the country as a whole and of the different regions and States, it makes a powerful contribution to the goal of national integration. Planning in our country is an instrument for achieving the nation's basic goals and objectives. It was the dream of Mahatma Gandhi to wipe the tears from the eyes of each and every individual in our country.'We can be legitimately proud of the phenomenal progress made by the country since we embarked on the path of planned development. However, there are still too many people with tears in their eyes. Our task is thus clear. We have to wage a still more intensive campaign against poverty. The availability of lands to developers here under various schemes is curtailed by CIDCO due to many reasons better know to them. There is no time frame for any plot allotments, and if at all CIDCO releases plot on tender basis there are hundreds of developers for a single plot, hence the plot bids in much greater value.(A plot of base price of 18000Rs per square meter bids at upto 75000Rs) There are many instances like this happening again and again. In my view, if Government of Maharashtra is serious in considering housing reforms it should consider Navi Mumbai and make it as a model city to carry out reforms. The reason behind this is obvious, all the lands belongs to CIDCO means they can control the land rates by supplying the land as per the requirement. The housing stock thus available will be as per demand and developers will be forced to price their stock competitively. Its an opportunity for government of Maharashtra to achieve its objectives of affordable/low cost housing availability. Whereas it is not possible in Mumbai as the control of land is not directly with the Government, here Government can only bring rules & legislations to decontrol lands in order to make lands available for development. Also, by developing Navi Mumbai on fast track will also keep in check the rates in Mumbai upto certain level. The MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region) is neglected and there is vast infrastructure and connectivity issues in the entire MMR.Merely restricting inflows of people into state capital will not solve the problem alone, instead we should think fast on developing adjoining areas. Where there is growth there is no Infrastructure and where there is Infrastructure we are not promoting growth. There is a very good example of unused infrastructure, Railway Line between Panvel-Diva-Vasai. There is one track each in both directions with all facilities and stations ready but there is no suburban trains on it. The Vth Report of Lok Sabha Standing Committee in 1993-94 recommended that all Railway lines within radius of 150 km of Mumbai Metropolitan urban area are to be taken as Suburban lines and they must be promoted.
And about the BOOM or DOOM
In my opinion Navi Mumbai is heading towards real estate DOOM !!!
Reasons are :-
Why CIDCO has curtailed the supply of land when the demand is at its peak. ?
Why a common man can not buy a home in Navi Mumbai now ?
Why Navi Mumbai has become investor market for real estate ?
Why are builders now moving out of Navi Mumbai ?
Why CIDCO is unable to allot plots under 12.5 % scheme to PAP's and their families ?
Why there is increase in number of cases in courts for sale of land from PAP's to Builders ?
and many more ......
Do you have the answers for above Q's ? U can justify my opinion.