MUMBAI, Oct. 19 -- Residents of cessed buildings in Mumbai can now avail of free minor repairs to compound passages, flooring, drainage and water pipelines after being apprised of a funding provision in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, which many were hitherto unaware of. The applications will be processed on a first-come-first-served basis. The initiative aims to address essential repairs in the premises of cessed buildings, which are generally undertaken by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) for major structural work. The civic body will bear the cost of the specified repairs without levying additional property tax, cess or other municipal charges on residents. Rajeshree Shirwadkar, chairperson of the BMC's education committee, said the scheme could benefit several cessed buildings in F North ward, particularly in Matunga, where many residents were unaware of the provision. "We undertake repairs to the premises below cessed buildings, including replacing compound flooring and repairing or replacing drainage, sewage and water pipelines, as Mhada does not do such work," she said. "Major repairs to the buildings themselves will continue to be carried out by Mhada." Shirwadkar said the number of cessed buildings in the ward had declined from around 400-500 to approximately 300, largely due to redevelopment. However, many of the remaining buildings could benefit from the provision under the MMC Act. "Residents who approach my office for assistance with such repairs also end up paying their outstanding property tax bills in the process," she said. An official at Shirwadkar's office stated that minor repairs to common external infrastructure-such as drainage, sewage lines, water pipelines, and compound flooring-are covered for buildings paying repair cess. Upon receiving a request, the office submits a requisition alongside the cess bill to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Civic engineers then assess the premises and select the lowest bidder, with the BMC funding the work through a designated fund code, mirroring MHADA's process using MLA and MP funds. Proposals for five properties have already been received, and because funding is limited, applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents of eligible properties are encouraged to submit necessary documents to secure aid for essential repairs. Mumbai contains 14,207 cessed buildings, primarily in the island city, comprising 11,950 Category A (pre-1940), 963 Category B (1940-1950), and 1,294 Category C (1951-1969) structures....