Decision on redevpt plan for suburban buildings soon: CM

Decision on redevpt plan for suburban buildings soon: CM

Nagpur: Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday indicated that a decision on a proposal to offer incentives for the redevelopment of old and dilapidated buildings in Mumbai suburbs and Thane could be taken soon. 

    During a discussion in the legislative assembly on Wednesday, Chavan said he would convene a meeting in this regard and inform the House about the outcome on Friday. MLAs from the treasury and the Opposition benches participated in the discussion.     Legislators also 
pressed for a policy to regularize the 5,500-odd illegal structures in Thane as was done in Ulhasnagar. Chavan said the government would clarify its stand on the issue on Friday. 
    Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai criticized the government for delays in implementing the recommendations of the Afzalpurkar committee report which dealt with the grant of a higher floor space index (FSI) for dilapidated suburban buildings. 
    The FSI is a development tool which defines the extent of construction permissible on the plot. 
The committee had submitted its report in 2000. Another panel appointed to review the recommendations presented its findings in 2007. The panel recommended a higher FSI for cluster redevelopment. It also suggested adoption of an area-based approach for open space development instead of the uniform open space ratio insisted upon at present. 
Congress member Ashok Jadhav also raised the issue. With higherFSI offered for dilapidated cessed buildings in the island city, Jadhav criticized the government for "having two different set of rules" for city and suburban buildings. 
Sena's Eknath Shinde threatened to launch a hunger strike inside the Vidhan Bhavan premises till the government announced a concrete policy on Thane structures. Sources said a committee appointed to suggest an action plan for Thane buildings has sought another month to submit its findings.