State govt to overhaul FSI allotment laws

Mumbai: In a move that will change the face of development in Mumbai, the state government has plans to overhaul laws concerning allotment of floor space index (FSI) for redevelopment projects. FSI is a development control tool that defines the extent of construction permissible on a plot and is defined as the ratio of the builtup area to the area of the plot. 

    State sources said CM Prithviraj Chavan has already approved a proposal for the appointment of a study group that will review existing laws and recommend necessary changes. 
    The study group comprises heads of various state departments and has been asked to submit a report in a month's time. It has been asked to review Section 33 of the development control (DC) regulations, which defines provisions for allotment of additional FSI for redevelopment projects. This move could have an impact on the development and redevelopment of mill land, slum colonies, Mhada colonies, old buildings owned by the BMC and the police, cessed buildings and cluster redevelopment schemes, among others. 
    A senior state official said this will be the second major overhaul of the DC regulations. Chief minister 
Prithviraj Chavan had approved a proposal for change in rules of building approvals last year, which had led to reduction in discretionary powers held by the municipal commissioner. 
    A senior bureaucrat said that Chavan has also given in-principle approval to a change in concept plan for redevelopment projects.