MUMBAI: The BMC has asked the government to take a holistic approach even as the latter has proposed 40% of all Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) to be used in any construction project in the city must come from the Dharavi redevelopment project (DRP). The BMC, as planning authority for the city, recently submitted its objections/suggestions to government.
In a draft notification issued in November last year, the state proposed that builders seeking to use additional floor space index (FSI) in the form of TDR must first use DRP TDR. This would be mandatory in Mumbai as well as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Further, the government has proposed to do away with indexation for the DRP TDR. If approved, the DRP TDR will cost up to 90% of the plot on which it is used.
In its objections/suggestions, the BMC said, “The proposed modification stipulates slum TDR 20% and Dharavi TDR 40%. Thus only 40% of road/reservation TDR can be utilised. Therefore, the implementation of Development Plan (DP-2034) will be difficult.”
It has further said that ten years after the sanctioning of DP-2034, the number of purchase notices may increase and it will compulsorily need to acquire reserved land, paying huge monetary compensation as per the new Land Acquisition Relief and Rehabilitation Act, 2013. “If not, the reservations may lapse,” the BMC has stated.
The civic corporation has pointed out there may be no takers for its TDR which it gives for land acquired for roads and other public amenities if government goes ahead with the condition that Dharavi TDR be utilised first. “In the earlier Development Control Regulations, 1991 as well as in the sanctioned Development Control and Promotion Regulations, 2034 though there is a limit of 20-50% on utilisation of slum TDR there is no imposition of utilisation of slum TDR first. Government may take holistic view in the matter,” states the BMC response.
The BMC has also opposed the non-indexation of DRP TDR, saying government has made various provisions and also provided numerous concessions to make the project feasible.
The civic body has said in case of slum TDR and heritage TDR, there was no indexation for one year but afterwards TDRs were indexed. “DRP has been declared as a vital public project by the housing department by a Government Resolution of 2018. In the said GR various provisions/concessions are incorporated to make DRP feasible,” it has said.
