‘Buildings with approved layout plan should be exempted from SC order’

Replying to an opinion sought by the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI) on last year’s Supreme Court order asking developers to mandatorily set aside 15-25 per cent of the plot size at the ground level for open recreational spaces, Justice (retired) B N Srikrishna has said that buildings for which the layout plan or the construction permissions have been approved should be spared from the directives.

In its December 17, 2013 order, the Supreme Court had also described a rule permitting 1.5-metre passage on small plots under redevelopment as a fire hazard and held it invalid. It prescribed a minimum six metre passage as necessary on plots up to 600 sq metres, unless the plot abuts a road.