While ministry seeks stop-work notice, developer claims all approvals are in place

Kailash Babar & Sagar Malviya

Mumbai: The defence ministry has objected to a Godrej Properties’ residential venture in Mumbai and demanded that work be suspended on the project, which has an estimated revenue potential of ₹7,000 crore. The ministry has said the project is too close to the Kandivali complex of the Central Ordnance Depot (COD).

The Godrej Reserve project is be ing built on an 18.6-acre land parcel. The developer has already launched about 1.91 million sq ft and had got bookings for 1.51 million sq ft worth ₹2,693 crore, according to the com pany’s FY24 regulatory filing.

Seeking a “stop-work notice” against the project, the defence ministry unit has told the build- ing proposal department of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) in a note that the plot is located within 500 metres of the Kandivali complex. “As a responsible developer, all our projects commence post grant of appropriate and necessary ap- provals from concerned authorities. In this case too, all requisite approvals from concerned authorities and RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) are intact,” said a Godrej Properties spokesperson. “We have not received communication from any concerned authority citing any non-compliance on our part.”

The COD cited the Union government’s May 2011 guidelines specifying that construction activity is not permitted within 100 metres of any defence establishment. Further, the construction of up to a maximum of four storeys is allowed within 100-500 metres of the periphery after securing a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the defence ministry.

In Doldrums

Bombay HC had struck down the requirement for such NOCs last year

Supreme Court upheld the requirement in February 2024

Godrej Properties projects approval granted during transition phase

Co launched projects

1.9 m sq ft

after approvals including from RERA

Received bookings for 1.51 msft valued at 2,693 cr

Source :- Economic Times