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Last month, the Maharashtra government published new draft bylaws for the state's more than 117,000 housing societies.
It invited suggestions and objections from stakeholders. This includes residents, their societies, and their federations.
According to officials from the cooperation department, over 5,000 suggestions have been received. Most relate to parking, EV charging stations, maintenance fees, and curtailing the powers of managing committees.
Debate Over EV Charging and Parking
The draft bylaws state that EV charging equipment installed exclusively by a member within their allocated space is that member's financial responsibility.
However, suggestions received have demanded this responsibility instead be placed on the society. This would include making space available, creating common charging stations, and maintaining them.
The bylaws designate all common parking areas, visitor parking spaces, parking decks, and mechanical parking systems as common areas maintained by the society at its cost. This excludes individual equipment installed by a member.
An official said the suggestions received have demanded categorisation of open slots, stilt parking, and podium parking, with a request that they be treated accordingly.
Standardising Maintenance Charges
The draft bylaws propose standardising housing society maintenance charges. Common service charges would be divided equally among flats. Water charges would be based on the number and size of taps or inlets.
Smaller flat owners have objected to the equal-charge proposal. They have pressed for area-wise maintenance instead.
According to an official, bigger flat owners have favoured the equal-charges mandate for common services such as security, electricity, housekeeping, and management.
The official said this follows existing rules and law, and cannot be changed despite objections from smaller flat owners.
Curtailing Committee Powers
Most suggestions have also pressed for reducing the powers given to a society's managing committee. Many residents feel committees enjoy unfettered powers, including granting no-objection certificates and other sale and lease-related powers.
Suggestions have called for these powers to be reduced to create a more level playing field.
Also Read: Maharashtra Lifts Freeze on Land for Housing Societies
Timeline for Finalising the Bylaws
Joint registrar Shahaji Patil leads the committee on bylaws. He said the bylaws are expected to be finalised by the first week of October, following a few more meetings.
He noted that around 90 percent of the work has been completed. Most suggestions have come from Mumbai, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and Nashik.
He said the department has accepted suggestions that fall within the purview of existing rules and laws, while others, even if important, could not be accepted.
Another officer said the new bylaws are comprehensive and unambiguous, resolving grey areas in existing rules, such as those around flat leakages.
The bylaws must be adopted within three months of publication. Any society wishing to tweak the bylaws for a specific reference will need approval from the registrar.
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