You cannot escape the
responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today…Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States,
serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Well, no need to
describe the probably most popular US President who is equally famous for his
witty wisdom! While seeing the campaigning of State Assembly elections in our
Pune city, his above words I remembered; as being an engineer as well a real
estate person by myself, what this city’s real estate expects from the
candidates while they ask for our precious vote? Many will ask why the real
estate people need anything in itself at first place! As have they not made enough
money to feed their coming generations, as from common man’s eyes, being
builder means loads of money! Also many will say, isn’t the real estate itself
cause of this city’s deterioration or degradation, as the city was much better
place to live before the specie named
“Builder’ came in existence! Well, I don’t blame these voices as there
have been incidences which only have given the real estate its infamous status
in the city social life; but does that
mean real estate is the only culprit for all the bad things which has happened
to the city or is a cause of every single problem the city is facing? Isn’t
real estate too is an industry like so many other industries which has been
part of the city in growth? Does a city means only Restaurants, IT parks, Colleges or
Auto Industries?
Well, like any above industry real estate too is an industry
which provide homes to millions of citizens of this very city only & it too
has its own needs like all other industries. These needs includes right
from infrastructure support on
administration level to policies which will ensure that the end result from the
industry will be achieved & here end result is making a simple affordable
home available for the common man! As like in any industry there are good
elements as well bad elements, but what is important is to look at the industry
in larger perspective, as we can’t ignore the contribution of real estate
industry. Had it
not been the numbers of developers & organizations of the developers like
Credai or MBVA, imagine what would have been the city’s condition! Unplanned
growth all around with illegal structures & no assurance of quality
construction would have made the scene worst. Already nearly 40% population of
the city is staying or rather forced to stay is proper term, in slums or
illegal structures; this percentage would have gone to much more, had the real estate
industry would not have been here! But in doing so, somewhere it’s like a lone
warrior’s battle for real estate! Here many will disagree with me as
what else they can expect from a real estate person but situation doesn’t
change whether a builder is stating the facts or some social activist, facts
remains facts! And I am not expecting any sympathy or special concessions for
the real estate but just want to put light on the scene & its impact which
will make the entire city to pay for it!
And on this back ground once again the State elections are
ahead & it’s the State Govt which is majorly responsible for the real
estate of not only Pune but of entire State! As very few will know but a city & its planning doesn’t depend on
just Municipal Corporation i.e. PMC in our case; rather PMC is just a tool in
implementing the State Govt's policies about real estate. They can’t change
any single law or rule regarding various aspects such as parking or FSI norm or
development charges or height & so many of such types. It goes to Urban
Development Dept of State Govt & which for last many years has been under
direct control of Chief Minister himself! Some fifteen odd years back Urban Development popularly
known as UD was never considered as of any significance but as the urbanization
all over the State increased slowly our rulers started knowing its importance
& we all know the reasons behind it. In current economics it’s no more gold
or share but it’s the land holding is what decides the wealth of any group or
the person. And it’s UD which decides any policy regarding the land use, so obvious
that head of the State will hold the key to these policies! Now you
will understand why the State elections are very much important for real estate
of the city as it’s this Govt which holds the fate of real estate!
To start with, once we accept the goal of real
estate is to make the homes affordable for every citizen of this city, then
what we have done to make it possible? To me good days for real estates doesn’t mean ever rising rates of the
flats as it’s the worst sign for any business. As one day the rates will be
so high that there will be no buyer for the homes, so what I wish for real
estate is there should be constant demand & the supply which will fit in
that demand! The rates should match the growth rate like any other industry as
sudden rise in rates of lands which we have observed in last three to four
years gets reflected in rates of finished products but then one lac sq ft of
land can purchased by a single developer, where as it requires hundreds of flat
buyers to buy flats built on that one lac sq ft of land. And one man can buy at
higher rate not hundred persons can do it! This is exactly where things have
gone wrong in real estate. Till just few years back Pune was dear to all kind
of segments in the society for various reasons, like from IT professionals to
education aspiring youngsters, from all over the State, people came here &
that’s the main reason of growth of the real estate here! No Govt or any of the elected members have any
part in making Pune real estates’ hot destination & exactly it’s this
inefficiency which has been the reason of bringing dooms days to the real
estate industry! As look at the way city has spread in past decade,
we have every known money earning business here right from education to IT to
banking to service industry, needless to mention ever existing automobile
segment too, but what about the policies which will ensure that this growth
will be sustained by equal strong real estate which in a way is like infrastructure
for the city. Because if there are no proper homes for these millions coming
here, then there won’t be too long a time when they will go to another city for
their “roji roti’ i.e. daily earnings! When I say proper it means affordable
& not only on front of price but well backed up with basic infrastructure
like water, drainage, roads, public transport, electricity etc!
We have been unable to form the infamous Pune Metropolitan
region, which would have ensured uniform & holistic network of this basic
infrastructure but when it will come in existence we don’t know. Take every
single front of this city from ready reckoner rates which keeps on growing each
year without taking in consideration market scene & as PMC’s various
building premiums are directly related with ready reckoner rates of flats, the
overall construction costs keeps on increasing. Then there is issue of public
transport policies as there is no public transport so people needs private
vehicles & as people needs private vehicles so what PMC does? It increases parking
norms for the buildings, making more area to be build for parking so again
addition in construction costs of the building. But State Govt has no time to intervene
& make public transport strong as well reduce the parking norms so as to
refrain people from buying more vehicle , which every day are killing the city
fresh air by their exhausts! On same lines PMC don’t have got enough money to
acquire land for roads on its own so whatsoever area of plot goes in road the
developer has to pay road development cost to PMC to get that FSI & who ultimately pays for this cost? PMC has
acquired hundreds of lands under the name of amenity spaces reservation &
what has happened to use of these lands? Again, there is no policy in place! We
have started giving TDR as well reservation for small houses but then who will
change the required norms regarding height or coverage or tenement density, of
buildings to accommodate this additional burden? We have been announcing about
merging of new villages where as our old city limit Development Plan & even
the Development Plan of already merged villages has not been cleared by UD or
State Govt! We speak about saving our hills & we don’t have a single policy
in place that how we are going to save them & in actual every day hills are
surrendering to slums! We make promises about
Metro & on other hand, in agenda of many candidates they have been
mentioning fly over on the same track where Metro is supposed to be built!
A simple policy like tree cutting we are unable to draft & for cutting a
single tree even for legitimate reasons, one has to go to high court, shows
what kind of state we are in on policy & governance level! And these are
just tip of iceberg, there are such thousands of issues which has been awaiting
proper policies about them! My God, so many questions & issues unanswered
or even untouched by every party’s candidates & we expect this city to be
ideal city in State!
We speak about making Smart Cities but what I feel, need of the time is
Affordable Cities! As first make at least one Pune city a proper
livable, affordable to its citizens & then show us the dreams of Smart
City, this is what real estate of city expects. On this background what is
unfortunate that no candidate has mentioned even a single logical solution to
any of the expectations of real estate. As ultimately who are the clients of real
estate industry? Who else but very citizens of this city only, so whatever real
estate’s expectations are, they are for the city only!
As to blame some bunch
of people for every failure is very easy but for how many days we are going to
dodge our responsibility by doing so? As the wise US president has said each
candidate of every party who is contesting the election should remember this as
it’s for the people of this city they are responsible & just by giving
promises the responsibility isn’t going to be fulfilled! And this every single voter has to keep in
mind while vote, as it’s the future of your own city you will be voting for
& if you fail to vote responsibly then you your self will be at blame &
then even Gods won’t be able to save the city! So let’s unite & act up on
call of your city is what I will say, as five more such years will be too late
to recover!
Sanjeevani Dev.
Please do visit my blogs to know about our philosophy at Sanjeevani ! (Click the links below)
http://visonoflife.blogspot.
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