State amends DC rules to help home buyers Slashes premium rate on FSI to 60%, allows extra parking area

State amends DC rules to help home buyers

Slashes premium rate on FSI to 60%, allows extra parking area

With an eye on the forthcoming municipal elections, the state government on Tuesday announced amendments to the development control rules (DCR), claiming that it will benefit home buyers in the city. The government has reduced the rates of premium on the floor space index (FSI) to 60% of the ready reckoner from the proposed 100%. Making the announcement at the Mantralaya on Tuesday, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said this would help the government bring greater trans parency in the realty sector as it will reduce arbitrary and discretionary decision-making. Chavan, while rubbishing the scepticism of the rise in flat prices, said, “This would not lead to the rise of the prices, but will, in fact, bring transparency in the system.” The amendments were brought after planning authorities realised that builders were found to be violating the free FSI, in some cases, up to 200%. Currently, residential projects get 10% of the free FSI for balconies, while the premium on the FSI was 25%. Under the new DCR, areas of balcony, flower beds, terraces, voids and niches would be counted in the FSI. To compensate for this loss of free of FSI areas, the government has allowed compensatory fungible FSI to the extent of 35% for residential development and 20% for industrial and commercial development. Fungible FSI is usable like any other FSI. It can be used for making flower beds, voids or for constructing bigger habitable areas. Chavan said the decision on a high-rise committee and environment norms will be finalised shortly. An official from the housing department dubbed the announcement as a step towards putting in place an online system for sanctioning building proposals. Aproposal of making it mandatory a 6m open space on two sides of the plot has been also been trashed, relaxing the it to 1.5m on all sides. Developers from south and central Mumbai had strongly opposed the proposal, claiming that it would be impossible for the development of the smaller plots. The proposal for making two staircases mandatory in buildings taller than 24m has been changed, likewise, relaxing the height to 70m. The amendment in the DCR allows 25% more parking area free from any premium or part of FSI.