Govt okays FSI of 3 for all cessed bldgs

Mumbai:The state urban development department has issued a notification putting all A, B and C cessed buildings on an equal footing.      A floor space index of three has been extended to B and C category buildings (constructed prior to September 30, 1969). Buildings, pre-1969 tenanted properties in the island city, are classified into three categories: A (pre-1940), B (1940-1950) and C (1950-1969). Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had assured during the monsoon session to erase the distinction.      The move will boost redevelopment of old and dilapidated buildings under Section 33(7) of Development Control Regulations. There are an estimated 19,000 A, B and C category cessed buildings in the island city. Of these, 2,000 are in B and C category.      Congress legislator Amin Patel, who had raised the issue in the legislative assembly, had said that developers were not interested in redevelopment of these buildings as there was no incentive. As all these buildings are in close vicinity, the government hopes that the FSI incentive will boost area-wise redevelopment. "Developers can combine three or four buildings and carry out a unified redevelopment. This will help in creating better amenities in the area," said Patel. TNN