The DDA has proposed bringing uniform floor area ratio (FAR) for shop-cum-residence plots and complexes, at par with residential plots, in a move that will come as a big relief to traders facing threat of sealing, officials said on February 2, 2018. The proposal, which hinges on an amendment to the Master Plan of Delhi (MPD-2021), was approved during a meeting of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), held under the chairmanship of Lt Governor Anil Baijal at the Raj Niwas.
The DDA, however, said provisions of parking as per the prevailing standards, shall be mandatory for the approval or sanctioning of any revised plans by local bodies, in the case of shop-cum-residence plots or shop-cum-residence plots designated as local shopping centres (LSCs). “An amendment has been proposed to the Master Plan, to provide uniform FAR for shop-cum-residence plots or complexes, at par with residential plots, as given to properties on mixed-use street, which will depend on the size of the plot and subject to availability of parking,” a senior official said. FAR is the ratio of a building’s total floor area (gross floor area) to the size of the piece of land, upon which it is built.
See also: DDA in process of amending Master Plan 2021: Housing minister on sealing drive
The urban body also proposed reducing penalty charges from ’10 times to two times’ for violation of other terms and conditions, for properties meant for mixed use. At the meeting, the DDA proposed to ‘allow commercial activity in the basements in all commercial streets and areas, subject to payment of requisite charges without any discrimination’. “Once the public notification regarding the amendment is issued, there will be three days for inviting suggestions and objections from people, after which it will again come up for review and then, finally, be sent to the centre for approval,” the official said.
The move will come as a big relief to traders, who have been seeking uniform FAR, as several properties have been sealed by civic bodies, in the last few months. Civic bodies in north, south and central Delhi, have been carrying out sealing drives, which started in December 2017, with action against over 50 shops in Defence Colony Market, at the instance of a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee.
Union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri had recently said, the DDA was in the process of amending Delhi’s Master Plan, to provide relief to the traders from the ongoing sealing drive in the national capital. The ministry has also decided to reduce the number of days, for which the notification has to be put in the public domain, from 45 days to three, considering the urgency of the situation.
BJP leader and DDA member Vijender Gupta said, “The FAR earlier for 100 sq m was variable, ranging from 180 to 225, but now it is proposed to be a uniform 350 for 100 sq m.” Chairman of the NDMC’s standing committee Tilak Raj Kataria, welcomed the proposal, saying, “We thank the union UD minister and the L-G, for providing some relief to traders, by proposing to increase FAR to 350 and reducing the penalty charges.” Leader of the house in the SDMC Shikha Rai, also welcomed the proposal to increase the FAR.
DDA authorities said the decision was spurred by large-scale public grievances, raised by shopkeepers and trade associations. “Issues were also raised by the local bodies, with respect to the absence of provisions for shop-cum-residence plots, which came up after MPD-1962 and development control norms for shop-cum-residential plots/complex, declared as commercial centres,” the urban body said in a statement.
At the meeting, it was proposed that local bodies approve the revised plans for any additions or alterations as per permitted use or activity, subject to all statutory clearances with respect to relevant provisions of building bye-laws, structural safety, fire safety and other norms. The DDA also proposed norms for redevelopment of godown clusters existing in ‘non-conforming areas, to be inserted as a new paragraph 6.4 in Chapter 6 – Wholesale Trade as a modification to MPD-2021’.
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