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TOI: BMC revives policy on amenity plots: September 10, 2010

BMC revives policy on amenity plots ……Clara Lewis
Mumbai: In a move that will give space-starved Mumbai more breathing space, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to revive its old policy of not sanctioning the entire floor space index (FSI) unless the builder surrenders the developed civic amenity on his plot free of cost to the corporation. The amenity plot may be a garden, a welfare centre, dispensary, municipal market, etc. A T Shintre, director, engineering and special projects, who is in charge of the Development Plan and Building Proposal department, confirmed the BMC’s decision to resurrect the policy. In fact, the Development Plan department has been asked to prepare a list of all amenity plots across the city that is due to the corporation.
The meeting to discuss the issue was called on Wednesday by the Improvement Committee chief Manoj Kotak following an article that TOI had published on August 30. Since 2003, the BMC was not only granting the entire FSI, but also the occupation certificate without insisting on the amenity plot. It only took an undertaking from the developer that the amenity plot would be handed over whenever the BMC asked for it.

The alarm was raised after TOI reported that 35 amenity plots in Mulund had not been taken over by the BMC. These plots were in lieu of the BMC allowing industrial estates to be converted into residential and commercial zones. The condition for allowing change of user was that 5% of the industrial plot would be reserved for a public amenity. The amenity plot would be developed and handed over as soon as the builder had consumed 50% of the plot’s FSI. “If he failed to do so, the BMC would not sanction the remainder of the FSI. But BMC officials deliberately revoked the clause in 2003 to favour builders at the cost of the city,’’ said Kotak. This lackadaisical attitude is now costing the corporation dearly.

Kotak pointed out that on account of the BMC’s past negligence in the Juhu Vile Parle Development Scheme, the local residents’ association is now demanding Rs 748 crore for the handing over of nine public amenity plots in the area. “There are 17 such plots in JVPD and it will cost the BMC Rs 4,000 crore if it has to buy them. Had the BMC acted in time we would not have to fight in the courts for the plots,’’ he said.

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