RTI in Maharashtra: MHADA Lotteries, BMC Building Plans, and IGR Stamp Duty Records

Maharashtra generates more RTI applications per year than most other states combined, and for good reason. The state government machinery touches daily life in extraordinarily concrete ways — whether you are waiting for a MHADA flat that was allotted two years ago but never handed over, trying to confirm that the apartment you are buying has a valid Occupancy Certificate, or needing to verify that a sale deed registered in your family's name actually appears in official records. This guide focuses on three specific, high-volume domains where RTI applications from Maharashtra residents concentrate: MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority), BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation), and the office of the Inspector General of Registration (IGR) that governs stamp duty and property registration across the state.

If you are new to RTI in Maharashtra and want to understand the two-track system — which bodies go to the Maharashtra State Information Commission (MSIC) and which go to the Central Information Commission (CIC) — read the general Maharashtra RTI guide first. All three bodies covered here are Maharashtra State public authorities, so second appeals for all of them go to the MSIC in Mumbai under Section 19(3) of the RTI Act, 2005.

MHADA — Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority

MHADA is one of Maharashtra's oldest and most visible state housing agencies, established under the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Act, 1976. Its primary function is constructing and allotting affordable housing to economically weaker sections (EWS), low-income groups (LIG), middle-income groups (MIG), and higher-income groups (HIG) across the state. Because MHADA housing is priced well below the open market, demand is enormous and allotments are made by lottery.

MHADA's Board Structure

MHADA is not a single monolithic organisation. It is divided into regional boards, each with its own CEO and its own lottery schemes:

• Mumbai Housing and Area Development Board — covers Greater Mumbai
• Pune Housing and Area Development Board — covers Pune city and district
• Konkan Housing and Area Development Board — covers coastal districts (Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Thane outside Mumbai limits)
• Nashik Housing and Area Development Board — covers Nashik and the north
• Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) Housing and Area Development Board — covers the Marathwada region
• Amravati Housing and Area Development Board — covers Vidarbha west
• Nagpur Housing and Area Development Board — covers Nagpur and east Vidarbha

When you file an RTI on a MHADA matter, you need to identify the correct board as your public authority. Each board has its own designated Public Information Officer (PIO). Do not file with MHADA's central headquarters in Mumbai for a matter that falls under the Pune Board — the PIO at headquarters will transfer the application, costing you time, and any delay caused by an inter-authority transfer still counts against the 30-day response clock under Section 7(1).

RTI for MHADA Lottery Disputes

The MHADA lottery is the mechanism by which flats are allotted. Computerised draws are conducted in the presence of government officials, and the results are announced publicly. However, disputes do arise — applications that were validly submitted get excluded from the draw, allotment letters are delayed, or a flat allotted on paper is never physically handed over. RTI is the most effective way to document what happened and to move the bureaucracy.

Confirming your application was included in the draw:

"Whether application number insert your application number submitted for the year MHADA lottery scheme for board name was included in the computerised lottery draw conducted on date. If the application was not included in the draw, the specific reason(s) for exclusion and the name and designation of the officer who authorised the exclusion."

Getting the full lottery statistics:

"The total number of applications received for the year MHADA lottery scheme for board name, scheme name. The total number of flats available category-wise — EWS, LIG, MIG, and HIG separately. The number of applications that were found eligible for the draw and the number that were rejected or excluded, with the category-wise breakdown."

Checking the status of your allotment:

"The current status of the flat allotted to lottery winner bearing registration/allotment number X in the year scheme of board name. Whether a formal allotment letter has been issued, and if so, the date of issue. Whether possession of the flat has been handed over, and if not, the expected date and the reasons for the delay."

Waiting list position:

"The complete waiting list for MHADA scheme scheme name, year for board name as of date. The rank of application number X on the waiting list. The number of flats for which possession has been handed over from this scheme and the number still pending."

RTI for MHADA Repairs — Old Cessed Buildings in Mumbai

MHADA's Mumbai Board has a special and important responsibility: it oversees the repair and redevelopment of old "cessed buildings" in Mumbai — buildings built before 1940 that tenants pay a repair cess on. These buildings house hundreds of thousands of tenants in South Mumbai and the inner suburbs, and the repair machinery is notoriously slow.

Checking repair order status for a building:

"The repair order(s) issued by MHADA (Mumbai Housing and Area Development Board) for the building known as building name/number bearing MHADA property registration number X located at address. The name of the contractor appointed for the repair work and the date on which work commenced. The completion certificate issued, if any, and if not issued, the current stage of the work."

Structural audit report:

"The structural audit report prepared for the building at address/property number and its grading (C1, C2A, C2B, or other classification). The name and credentials of the structural auditor appointed and the date of the audit."

BMC — Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation

The BMC (also called MCGM — Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai) is the richest and most powerful municipal body in India. It administers Greater Mumbai — roughly 603 square kilometres and approximately 12 million people — and its annual budget exceeds that of many Indian states. BMC is a state public authority under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act, 1949. Second appeals for BMC go to the MSIC.

BMC's ward-based structure means that the correct PIO for most matters is not at the central headquarters on CST Road but at the relevant Ward Office (A through T wards covering different parts of Mumbai). Identify your ward first using the BMC ward map, then address your RTI application to the PIO of that ward office.

RTI for Building Plans and Occupancy Certificates

In Mumbai, among the most sought-after RTI documents are building plans and Occupancy Certificates (OC). Mumbai has a severe problem with buildings that are occupied but have never received an OC — a situation that creates legal uncertainty for flat buyers, insurance complications, and genuine safety risks. BMC is the authority that sanctions building plans and issues OCs.

Getting the sanctioned building plan:

"The building plan sanctioned by BMC for the plot bearing CTS (City Survey) number X in ward name / village name. The name of the architect and developer who submitted the plan for sanction. The date of sanction of the building plan and the Development Control (DC) rules or Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) under which the plan was sanctioned."

OC/Completion Certificate status:

"Whether an Occupancy Certificate (OC) or Completion Certificate has been issued by BMC for the building located at full address / CTS number. If an OC has been issued, the date of issue and the certificate number. If an OC has not been issued, the specific reasons for non-issuance and the current status of the OC application filed by the builder/society."

Unauthorised construction and demolition notices:

"Whether the building at full address / CTS number is a legal structure as per BMC records. Whether any notice for unauthorised construction has been issued under the relevant provisions of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act or the Development Control and Promotion Regulations. Whether a demolition order has been issued and whether it has been stayed by any court."

RTI for Tree Cutting Permissions

BMC is the statutory authority for granting permission to cut, prune, or transplant trees in Greater Mumbai under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975. Unlawful tree felling in Mumbai — often carried out before permissions are formally granted — is a persistent problem, and RTI has been an effective tool for activists and residents.

"The permission granted by BMC's Tree Authority for the cutting, pruning, or transplanting of trees at address. The date of the permission, the number and species of trees authorised to be cut, and the conditions regarding compensatory plantation imposed on the applicant. Whether the compensatory plantation has been carried out and verified."

RTI for Property Tax

"The property tax assessment for the property bearing Ward X account number X / property code X. The basis of assessment — ratable value, capital value, or unit area method. The date of the last assessment revision. Whether any arrears of property tax are outstanding, and if so, the total amount and the period to which the arrears relate."

RTI for Hawker Zone Plans and Licences

BMC regulates street hawking in Mumbai under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, through its Town Vending Committees and zone plans.

"The hawking zone plan approved by the Town Vending Committee for locality / ward. The number of licensed hawkers in locality. Whether a hawking licence has been issued to the vendor operating at exact location and the licence number and conditions."

IGR Maharashtra — Stamp Duty and Property Registration

Every property transaction in Maharashtra — sale, gift, mortgage, partition, power of attorney — is required to be registered at the Sub-Registrar's office under the Registration Act, 1908. The Inspector General of Registration (IGR), Maharashtra, is the apex authority overseeing this system. Each district has multiple Sub-Registrar offices. IGR is a Maharashtra State public authority; second appeals go to the MSIC.

Registered documents are, in principle, public records. The index entries — which record the document type, parties, property description, and consideration — are accessible. RTI for IGR matters is extremely powerful for verifying title, checking for hidden encumbrances, and confirming that a power of attorney is genuine and unrevoced.

RTI for Verifying a Registered Document

"Whether the sale deed bearing document number X registered at the Sub-Registrar's Office, name of Sub-Registrar office, district on date is a genuine registered document as per IGR records. The certified copy of the index entry for this document, including the names of the executant and claimant, the property description, and the consideration stated."

RTI for Ready Reckoner / Market Value

The Annual Statement of Rates (ASR), commonly called the Ready Reckoner, sets the minimum market value of immovable property for stamp duty calculation purposes.

"The Annual Statement of Rates (Ready Reckoner) market value applicable for the property described as survey number / plot number / CTS number in village/ward, taluka/district for the financial year X–X+1. Whether the property falls in a residential, commercial, or open-land category under the ASR for this area."

RTI for Encumbrances and Power of Attorney

"The number and nature of encumbrances registered against the property at address / survey/CTS number in the records of the Sub-Registrar's Office, office name, as of date. The document numbers, dates, and types of all encumbrances."

"Whether the Power of Attorney bearing document number X registered at Sub-Registrar office on date has been revoked or cancelled as per IGR records. If revoked, the document number and date of the revocation deed."

7/12 Extract (Satbara Utara) — Revenue Department, Not IGR

A critical clarification: the 7/12 extract (Saat-Baara Utara), which is the primary record of agricultural land ownership in Maharashtra, is not maintained by IGR. It is maintained by the Revenue Department at the Talathi (village revenue officer) level, with oversight at the Circle Officer and District Revenue Office levels. RTI for 7/12 records, khata mutations, and land dispute notations must be filed with the Talathi's superior — the Circle Officer or Sub-Divisional Officer of the relevant circle — or with the Tehsildar of the relevant taluka.

RERA Maharashtra — Real Estate Regulatory Authority

MahaRERA (Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority) was constituted under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. It is a Maharashtra State public authority; second appeals go to the MSIC.

MahaRERA is particularly important because its records are publicly available on its portal (verify the current URL at the Maharashtra government's official website), but registered RTI applicants can seek details that are not always visible on the portal or that require a certified format.

Project registration and compliance:

"The current registration status of the real estate project registered with MahaRERA bearing registration number X. Whether the promoter has submitted the quarterly progress reports as required under RERA. Whether any complaint has been filed against the promoter and the current status of those complaints."

Refund orders and recovery proceedings:

"Whether any order directing the promoter of project name, registration number to refund amounts to allottee name has been passed by MahaRERA. The amount of the order, the date of the order, and whether the recovery certificate has been issued by MahaRERA for recovery of the amount."

Filing Your RTI Application: Practical Notes

All three authorities — MHADA, BMC, and IGR — are Maharashtra State public authorities. File your RTI:

• Online: Through the Maharashtra state RTI portal. Verify the current portal URL on the Maharashtra government's official website before filing — the portal address has changed in the past.
• Offline: Send a written application to the PIO of the relevant office with the ₹10 application fee (demand draft, postal order, or cash as accepted by that office). BPL cardholders are exempt from the fee under Section 7(5) of the RTI Act.

Address your application specifically — for BMC, include the ward; for MHADA, include the board; for IGR, include the Sub-Registrar's office name and district. A mis-addressed application will be transferred to the correct PIO, which eats into your 30-day response window.

The PIO must respond within 30 days under Section 7(1). If the information concerns life or liberty, the response must come within 48 hours. If you receive an unsatisfactory response or no response, file a First Appeal under Section 19(1) to the First Appellate Authority within the same body within 30 days. If the First Appeal is also unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal to the Maharashtra State Information Commission (MSIC) under Section 19(3) within 90 days.

Maharashtra's RTI culture is strong. Keep copies of everything you send and receive, note your application and registration numbers, and track deadlines carefully. The bureaucracy responds — often most usefully — when it knows a citizen is keeping score.