July 09, 2021 - CREDAI Bengal Homes
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July 09, 2021
CREDAI Bengal Daily News Update | 09.07.21
Newspaper/Online Financial Express ( online )
Date July 09, 2021
Link https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/an-antidote-for-indias-second-wave-
migration-dilemma/2286736/
An antidote for India’s second-wave migration dilemma
Focus on both mass vaccination of migrant workers and an adaptive public-works
strategy
FY22 began on an ominous note with the ferocious Covid-19 second wave ravaging India.
Eleven major states witnessed a staggering 55.7 lakh new cases and 1.69 lakh new deaths in
April 2021 over March 2021, overwhelming the health infrastructure and emotional well-being
of the country.
The uncertainty of this wave triggered a repeat of the reverse-migration phenomenon endured
during the first wave last year, though relatively less intense this time. Delhi’s transport
department reported movement of 8.07 lakh migrant workers from Delhi to their neighbouring
home states in the first month of Delhi’s lockdown starting April 21. The Indian
Railways stepped up operation of on-demand, fully-reserved summer special trains from cities
such as Mumbai, Pune, Surat and Delhi and terminating in Darbhanga, Danapur, Gorakhpur and
parts of east India.
The policy response for safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of migrant workers needs to be
dynamic and innovative. It is critical to have a behavioural understanding of the context
influencing reverse-migration decisions and how the context is different during this wave.
Firstly, dispersed state-wide lockdowns instead of a strict nationwide lockdown has meant
accessible public transport and easier inter-state travel. This is expected to have made reverse-
migration decisions more deliberate and less panic-driven this time.
Secondly, proactive cash and food transfers for unorganised workers announced during the
second wave under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana from May to November 2021 and by
states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu might have delayed their exitdecision. Thirdly, past migration decisions and their consequences are expected to have influenced current exit decisions. During the first lockdown, 1.14 crore migrant workers were reported to have returned to their home states, particularly to six key migration-origin states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. District-level MGNREGA analysis suggests the programme helped absorb sudden surge of work demand in these states, especially in 116 high returnee-migrant districts identified under the PM Garib Kalyan Rojgar Yojana (PMGKRA). While household work demand in these districts rose from 28.6 lakh in April 2020 to 131 lakh in June 2020, MGNREGA employment provided to these households increased from 23.5 lakh to 108.8 lakh during the same period. Similar trends are seen in the second wave. While work demand in GKRA districts (minus Rajasthan where MGNREGA activity remained restricted during 15-day lockdown in May 2021) has risen by 57% in April 2021 over April 2019, demand in May 2021 and June 2021 also surpassed May 2019 and Jun 2019 levels by 55% and 66%, respectively. However, the second wave has been ferocious and the uncertainty costs of both staying back and reverse-migration are complex. For instance, 47% of migrant workers who returned from Delhi to neighbouring states this time had left in the first week of the lockdown. Secondly, with Covid-19 virus having spread more intensely in rural areas this time (unlike in the first wave), there is a serious mortality risk for migrants and their families in their home states, especially in light of overburdened health infrastructure in rural areas. Thirdly, the uncertainty regarding nature of MGNREGA activities permissible in a state government lockdown further complicates migration decisions. Prioritising vaccination of migrant workers in both origin and destination states may avert the looming distress owing to the second wave’s migration dilemma. The labour ministry in collaboration with state labour departments and contractors may execute this at the earliest, especially as workers begin to return with gradual unlocking of states. Walk-in vaccination facilities at state entry and exit points and in the vicinity of urban and rural workplaces, as is being done in Karnataka at MGNREGA sites, will speed up the vaccination drive. With migrant workers constituting 35% of India’s construction workforce (Census 2001), the real estate industry may be incentivised to get their workers vaccinated at construction sites in mission- mode. Punjab, West Bengal (in consonance with real estate body CREDAI), Tamil Nadu,
Telangana and Assam (Guwahati) have taken such steps. Further, exclusive district-level first- line treatment centres for Covid-19 infected migrant workers may be set up, as proposed by the Kerala labour department. Going forward, states should identify a pandemic-resilient public works strategy along the lines of the PMGKRA and South Africa’s Expanded Public Works Programme tailored to each state’s specific needs. Adaptive measures like individual works, community care and food distribution services amid school closures may be explored under the MGNREGA. Even if MGNREGA work is suspended to limit the virus spread, wage provision should continue. Fast- tracking update of the Centre’s National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW) initiated in November 2020 is paramount for effective targeting of migrant workers for vaccination. Quickening the implementation of One Nation One Ration Card in all states, as also highlighted in the Supreme Court’s recent judgment, would facilitate delivery of social security benefits to migrant workers irrespective of place of residence and work and scheme beneficiary status. The second wave has devastated the livelihood outlook for migrant workers, the bedrock of India’s urban labour markets. Both our vaccination drives and public works programmes need to adapt and expand on a war-footing to avoid derailment of our sustainable development trajectory. For, it is these invisible workers from the rural hinterland who are visibly supporting urban India’s growth story. _____________________________________________________________________________
Newspaper/Online Financial Express ( online )
Date July 09, 2021
Link https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/sme/msme-associations-worry-
over-gadkaris-move-to-include-retailers-and-traders-in-msme-sector/2284292/
MSME Associations worry over Gadkari’s move to include
retailers and traders in MSME sector
Ease of Doing business for MSMEs: MSME associations have expressed their concern about
the expansion of MSME definition fearing dilution of the sector and the benefits available to
manufacturing businesses.
In a longstanding demand from retail and trade industry associations, Minister of MSME Nitin
Gadkari last week reinstated the status of retailers and wholesale traders as MSMEs.
With the revised guidelines the retail and wholesale trades will now be able to register on the
Udyam Registration Portal.
While the move has been hailed by traders and retailers associations, several traditional MSME
associations have expressed their concern about the MSME definition’s expansion.
The Office Memorandum issued by the Ministry of MSMEs dated 2nd July 2021 stated that the
‘benefit of registration will be restricted to Priority Sector Lending’.
Industry Associations such as Federation of Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(FISME) have raised the concern about possible misuse of registration in other activities also.
In its statement, FISME said that traders will now be covered under the government’s public
procurement policy. It is currently mandatory for central ministry, government departments, and
PSUs to earmark 25 per cent of their annual procurement from the MSE sector to boost
manufacturing in the country. The concern is that now traders will import and supply to the
government. Also, traders will now be able to leverage promotional schemes such as
International cooperation which were meant to promote India-made goods in international
markets. “If appropriate checks are not brought in, it can be counterproductive to the
government’s Make in India initiative,” Anil Bharadwaj, Secretary General, FISME, told
Financial Express Online.Vinod Kumar, President, India SME Forum said that while this is a step forward where the government is helping in reviving a sector, it is also encouraging people to become traders. “The government has acknowledged the need to boost entrepreneurship in the country to create jobs but to encourage manufacturing there is also a need to give them that privileged distinction through schemes and a differentiation in its status rather than including it in the same set as traders.” In an earlier interview with Financial Express Online, Consortium of Indian Associations Convenor K E Raghunathan had said that the move will dilute the MSME sector that is already quite vast. He explained that good quality MSME data is absent in the country, and including over 2.5 crore traders and retailers will further complicate the issue. “It will be much more difficult to map data points around MSMEs in each district or state, making it difficult to analyse the problems to introduce the right provisions at the right time,” Raghunathan added. Moreover, existing support to MSMEs such as Government eMarketplace (GeM) portal, priority sector lending, and payment outstanding redressal by state facilitation centers will be weakened with such large additions, he concluded. ____________________________________________________________________________________
Newspaper/Online Zee Business ( online )
Date July 08, 2021
Link https://www.zeebiz.com/india/real-estate/news-institutional-investment-in-
real-estate-in-june-quarter-jumps-9-fold-to-usd-135bn-jll-india-160293
Institutional investment in real estate in June quarter jumps 9-fold
to $1.35bn: JLL India
Institutional investment in real estate jumped nearly 9-fold during the April-June quarter
to $1.35 billion, mainly driven by the inflow of funds in the warehousing projects,
according to property consultant JLL India.
Institutional investment in real estate jumped nearly 9-fold during the April-June quarter to
USD 1.35 billion, mainly driven by the inflow of funds in the warehousing projects, according
to property consultant JLL India.
In its 'Capital Markets Update Q2 2021', JLL India reported that institutional investors deployed
USD 1,357 million in real estate during the second quarter of the 2022 calendar year as against
a mere USD 155 million in the year-ago period. The warehousing segment attracted the
maximum investment of $743 million during the April-June quarter this year as compared to
USD 41 million in the corresponding period of the previous year.
____________________________________________________________________________________Newspaper/Online ET Realty ( online )
Date July 09, 2021
Link https://realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/residential/karnataka-to-
soon-adopt-new-model-tenancy-act/84257980
Karnataka to soon adopt new model tenancy act
The state government had a role in fixing the rent but with the new Act the state
government now aims to propose that the rent should be fixed by both the parties - owner
and tenant.
Karnataka is contemplating to adopt the Union government's Model Tenancy Act in order to
end the continuous tenant-owner disputes besides revitalising the rental housing sector, state
Revenue Minister R. Ashoka said here on Thursday.
After reviewing revenue department schemes here, Ashoka told reporters that the state
government wants to simplify the existing Tenancy Act. "This is still at a proposal stage and we
are also expecting feedback from the public before officially introducing this in the state," he
said.
He added that earlier, the state government had a role in fixing the rent but with the new Act the
state government now aims to propose that the rent should be fixed by both the parties - owner
and tenant. "After reaching an agreement, they need to finalise it legally and upload it onto the
government's portal," he explained.
The minister said that most house owners, especially in Bengaluru, ask tenants to cough up 10
months of rent as advance. "If the proposed new tenancy law is adopted, owners cannot collect
more than two months' rent as advance," he said.
According to the minister, the Act gives supremacy to the rental agreement and stipulates the
formation of a Rent Authority to address disputes.
He added that in the event of any dispute, the concerned officials will resolve it within 60 days.
"We are also mulling that the disputes should be settled within 60 days and even if anyone plans
to postpone the hearing, there won't be more than three hearings," Ashoka claimed.
He observed that wary of disputes, many owners keep their houses vacant without renting them.
"At present at least two to three lakh houses are vacant in Bengaluru alone. We hope that once
this Act is implemented, owners will get their tenants while the rents may also come down," the
minister explained.
________________________________________________________________Newspaper/Online ET Realty ( online )
Date July 09, 2021
https://realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/residential/mumbai-
Link witnesses-large-scale-appointments-of-independent-administrators-in-housing-
societies/84258090
Mumbai witnesses large scale appointments of independent
administrators in housing societies
This has raised eyebrows among the members of hundreds of societies that are due for
redevelopment as many builders and contractors have allegedly taken undue advantage of
the situation.
For over a year the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) is suddenly witnessing on large scale
the appointments of independent administrators in place of housing society managements.
This has raised eyebrows among the members of hundreds of societies that are due for
redevelopment as many builders and contractors have allegedly taken undue advantage of the
situation.
According to experts in the cooperative sector and the officials, the administrators have no
powers to interfere in major decisions of the society but despite that, a few are indulging in
wrong practices. Such rampant appointments of administrators have happened because society
elections could not be held for over a year due to the absence of election rules since October
2018 and later due to government decisions to postpone elections owing to Covid-19 till August
this year.
"During this period many committees expired and chairmen and secretaries died. Taking
advantage of this around 10 to 15 administrators have been appointed each by around 45 to 50
registrars in the Mumbai metropolitan region. Over 500 societies have seen Builders and
contractors interested in going ahead with the redevelopment have taken undue advantage of
this," said Ramesh Prabhu, president of Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association, a federation
of housing societies in the state.
Prabhu has demanded that elections should be declared as early as possible in these societies.
"If elections are physically not possible, they be allowed digitally or online. Presently many
societies are already holding AGMs and committee meetings through video conferencing," he
said.
Vijay Patel, cofounder of All India CHS Welfare Association said going by the provisions in
the law the administrator or authorised officer or even the registrars have no powers in major
decisions of the society such as redevelopment. "But despite that many builders have managed
to take advantage of the situation by managing the administrators. The recent incident of
administrators writing to a society in K West (Vile Parle, Andheri, and Jogeshwari) to go aheadwith redevelopment has angered the members. Patel said in Andheri's Four Bungalows his own society presently being ruled by an administrator is witnessing encroachment in the society premises. Meanwhile, a senior cooperative official, who did not want to be quoted, told TOI that any letter appointing administrator itself makes it clear that societies can demand elections after six months and can also register a complaint against him in case of any unlawful decision with the senior authorities in the cooperatives department. "Due to delay in election rules and later due to Covid the elections could not be held in many societies leading to the appointment of administrators. However, the rights of the society members have been safeguarded if anyone takes undue advantage of the situation," he added urging citizens to do the follow-up of such complaints to take them to their logical end. ________________________________________________________________
Newspaper/Online ET Realty ( online )
Date July 08, 2021
Link https://realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/regulatory/mangalore-
development-body-slashes-betterment-fee-by-80/84230347
Mangalore development body slashes betterment fee by 80%
The revised fee was approved by chief minister B S Yediyurappa and urban development
department minister B A Basavaraja (Byarati).
Mangalore Urban Development Authority (Muda) has slashed the betterment fee for layout,
single-site and change of land by five times, after its request was okayed by the state
government. The revised fee was approved by chief minister B S Yediyurappa and urban
development department minister B A Basavaraja (Byarati).
Citing an example, Muda chairman Ravishankar Mijar said on Wednesday that if the betterment
fee for five cents land worth Rs 6 lakh per cent was Rs 33,000, as per the revised order, the fee
is Rs 6,800. Further, he said the residential layout developed by the Muda at Konaje will be
completed shortly, and with this, Muda is all set to allot sites after 15 years.
On the Konaje layout, he said that it is being developed on 13.2 acres at a cost of Rs 10.2 crore.
About 90% of the work has been completed. The layout will have 135 sites and 94 will be
available for allocation by the end of the year. A lake is also being developed near the layout.
Meanwhile, a layout at Kunjathbail on 17.5 acres is being developed, and Muda is in the
process of obtaining the technical approval for the development of the layout at Chelyaru, he
said.
Master plan -III
The Muda Master plan-III is being developed under the AMRUT scheme, using GIS
technology. Provision will be made for road widening, truck terminal and four truck bays to
avoid traffic congestion.
Green Mangaluru initiative
Under the Green Mangaluru initiative, the development of lakes and their restoration is being
taken up. Five lakes have been developed, and are awaiting to be declared open. Another 10
lakes are being developed. There are also plans to develop at least 15 parks, after the
corporation identifies places.
Urwa MarketThe issues related to the newly constructed Urwa Market will be sorted out shortly, and measures will be taken to shift the traders to the market. ________________________________________________________________
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