AURANGABAD PLOT Mega project gets CM’s FSI push

Mumbai: In what is perhaps the highest FSI granted so far beyond city limits, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has agreed to provide 1.5 FSI on a 50-acre plot to be developed for an exhibition-cum-convention (ECC) centre at Shendra in Aurangabad. 
    The ECC has been proposed as part of the ambitious Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project, which is being pushed by the Centre as its own mega investment project. 
    According to the decision taken by the CM on Wednesday, the 1.5FSI would be global in nature, meaning it would apply to the entire plot. This means that construction up to 1.5 times the total plot area will be possible. 
    The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), which owns the land, is the nodal agency for DMIC's implementation in the 
state. It had sought an FSI of 2 for the plot's developable portion for ECC, which will be taken up on built-operate-and-transfer basis, sources said. 
    Chavan held a meeting with DMIC CEO Amitabh Kant on Wednesday. Senior officials were present at the meeting. Following Chavan's agreement, the MIDC, in consultation with DMIC, will issue tenders for the ECC, sources said. A proposal for amendment in town planning norms will be moved too. 
    At the meeting, Chavan asked officials to ensure that the state support agreement (SSA) is signed with DMIC for the project work within the next week. MIDC and the government asserted that the state's equity in the project must be 51%. The DMIC is pushing for a shareholder agreement with a 50-50 equity ratio. A special purpose vehicle for the project will soon be formed.