Published On : Mon, Jul 17th, 2017

CM Fadnavis models FSI scheme through his own house in Nagpur

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Nagpur: The newly announced floor space index scheme by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has been modelled by none other than Fadnavis himself who has and became one of its beneficiaries shortly thereafter availing extra FSI to build a new house in place of his old house in Dharampeth.

Fadnavis is among 28 to have availed the scheme for construction of new and mixed use buildings. A major change has been made in the scheme recently to encourage citizens to avail of its benefits. Under the scheme, a plot owner gets an additional 0.30 FSI. The beneficiary has to pay 60% of ready reckoner value of increased FSI to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) or Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT). NMC gets to keep half the revenue while state gets the other half.

NMC on December 5, 2014, had proposed the scheme to boost realty market, help residential and commercial plot owners to expand structures or go for new bigger buildings and also to regularize any unauthorized but compoundable constructions. Civic body hoped to get good revenue from the scheme.

On September 27, 2016, state’s urban development department (UDD) under the CM approved NMC’s proposed scheme. On May 24 this year, UDD empowered municipal commissioner and NIT chairman to give relaxation in side and rear margins under the scheme. Interestingly, they can give such relaxation even retrospectively.

The notification said, “No condonation in the required open space, parking and other requirements as in these regulations shall be allowed in the case of grant of such additional FSI except in the case of relaxation in side and rear margin where the chairman of NIT and municipal commissioner is satisfied that there is a constraint on development.”

An NMC official told local newspaper that with this, the number of applicants for premium FSI scheme were expected to increase. “Scheme is for non-congested areas so there is much scope for plot owners. Most of 28 cases are residential or residential-cum-commercial constructions. Pure commercial plot owners are not eligible as they already get 2.50 FSI. The town planning department has so far earned Rs 3.58 crore from the scheme,” the official said.

Fadnavis’ case is an example of how the scheme can help people get a bigger house in the same plot. Sources close to CM said, existing home was short of space since opening of his office on the ground floor. “Fadnavis wanted more space for his office as well as residence. He also wanted to create parking within the premises. Now entire ground floor will be for parking while office will be on first floor and home on second floor,” they said.

Fadnavis along with his friend Sandip Joshi, ruling party leader in the NMC, visited the site recently when demolition of entire old structure was completed.

The civic chief has approved Fadnavis’ new building plan. Building permit is yet to be issued from the town planning department. He will have to pay Rs 16.10 lakh to the NMC for approval.