f people in Gujarat.
Similarly, Dinesh Patel, president of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (Credai), Gujarat, said that the law was much awaited in the state and it will help people to get their properties regularised which was not possible due to lack of clarity in laws.
Residents of some 280 proposed residential housing societies in Rajkot welcomed the Act. "It is a welcome move for the residents of these societies as most of the people living there belong to economically weaker sections. It will give them the legitimate rights for civic facilities and financial security," said DK Sakhiya, a leader who represents the interest of these people. "It was an age old demand. It will give us right to get facilities such as road, street lights, sanitation," said JK Chauhan, a resident of proposed society for last 16 years.
Shailesh Mankadia, another resident, said: "Besides civic facilities, it will also legitimate our land holding and ownership rights. It will give us chance to mortgage our housing unit. The news gives me great relief." However, office bearers of various industry associations want the government to be more people-friendly. Tirodkar said the success of the law will largely depend on the way it is implemented. "The state government must allow regularisation of unauthorised construction in parking space as it was done in 2002," he said.
Moreover, people also want the government to regularise unauthorised construction on individual basis. "The government should not make it mandatory to apply collectively for regularising particular building. If someone is willing to pay his share of impact fee, then his premises within the building should be regularised," said Patel of Credai.
On the other hand, Prakash Kapadia, president of Gujarat Merchant Chamber, said that the impact fees must be paid by the developers and not by the end-users.