Development Control rules amendment not beneficial for city: civic activist

Civic activist Vijay Kumbhar of Surajya Sangharsh Samiti has alleged that a significant amendment in the development control rules proposed by the state government...

Civic activist Vijay Kumbhar of Surajya Sangharsh Samiti has alleged that a significant amendment in the development control (DC) rules proposed by the state government, which allows double Floor Space Index (FSI) on all projects undertaken on the government land, had not been published in any newspaper, nor uploaded on any government website.

He has alleged that this move is not intended for the benefit of common people, but for the good of developers, who stand to gain maximum from it.

He has also alleged that the copy of the amendment notification had come out only in English, not in Marathi. The notification was not given due publicity probably to forestall adverse suggestions and objections that could freeze the clearance of the notification in its current state, he said.

Apart from Pune, the state notification, issued by the urban development department is also applicable to the municipal corporations including Pimpri-Chinchwad and Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad.

Kumbhar has written to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan demanding the government to withdraw the notification, issue a fresh notification and invite suggestions and objection by publishing it in all newspapers, government websites and other sources of public information, as this time, it was impossible for people to post their suggestions and objections till December 19.

He has even questioned the whole purpose of the amendment, as giving double FSI for the commercial complexes is not beneficial for the progress of the city.

“As this amendment will give a burden on the existing infrastructure of the city, it obviously does not mean good for the city, therefore should be scrapped,” Kumbhar said.