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QN-NAT-POLL EVE LARGESSE FOR FLAT BUYERS, OPPN CRIES FOUL

5 QN 03

NAT/ (@ 525-words)

India-./

Poll-eve largesse to urban flat buyers, opposition cries foul

Mumbai, Jan. 03 (IANS) An hour before the elections to municipal corporations and zilla parishads were declared Tuesday afternoon, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan announced a major amendment to the Development Control Rules (DCR) governing housing and construction activities in urban areas.

However, all state opposition parties cried foul at the announcements coming on poll-eve with an eye on the urban electorate, coming a day after announcing doles for slum-dwellers and economically backward sections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena alleged that the CM’s announcement violated election guidelines as they were aimed at unduly ‘influencing’ voters.

Admitting that many existing DCR regulations provide opportunities for arbitrariness and consequently corruption, Chavan said that amended rules are intended to reduce harassment of the people dealing with government.

“The amendments to the DCR of Mumbai are a step in this direction. I am confident that this will be in the interests of the citizens of Mumbai and more specifically, the buyers of property in Mumbai”, Chavan said.

Besides, it would establish a level playing field for the developers, and also reduce arbitrary decision making by officials, and lead to a reduction in spiraling property prices, he said.

Under the new DCR areas of balcony, flower beds, terraces, voids, niches, etc would be included in floor space index (FSI), but this will be compensated by fungible (interchangeable) FSI to the tune of 35 percent for residential and 20 percent for industrial and commercial constructions, Chavan said.

However, unlike the past, this fungible FSI would be available at 60, 80 and 100 percent of the ready reckoner rates for residential, industrial and commercial properties, respectively.

This fungible FSI can be used like any other FSI for making flower beds, balconies, niches, voids, or giving a larger living area in the constructions, he said.

However, premium (as above) would be applicable for fungible FSI which will used in redevelopment of old, cessed buildings I the congested south Mumbai areas.

Similarly, in the Mumbai suburbs, fungible FSI on the FSI already consumed in existing buildings would be available free.

“This would help MHADA (the state’s apex housing body) developments and proposals for redevelopment of existing old buildings using TDR in the suburbs,” Chavan said.

In another important amendment, parking areas would be available as per the DCR with an option of extra 25 percent free and without being counted in the FSI by the developer.

Other points include relaxation of open space requirements for developing small plots or redevelopment of cessed building to only 1.5 metres on all sides of plot measuring 600 square metres or less.

The stipulation of providing two staircases for buildings above 24 metres tall has been relaxed for buildings upto 70 metres tall - or having approximately 25 floors.

Restrictions on number of basements for parking has been removed, enabling developers to provide adequate parking areas and decongest roads of parked vehicles, as also the bars on constructing lofts and reducing floor height from existing 4.2 metres to 3.9 metres.

For all tall buildings (above 70 metres), the new DCR stipulates provision for emergency evacuation device and construction of fire check floor.