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UP government relaxes norms for regularisation of extra construction
The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday rolled out a scheme that will allow for residents and commercial property owners to regularise any additional construction
The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday rolled out a scheme that will allow for residents and commercial property owners to regularise any additional construction on the payment of certain fee, a process known as “compounding”. The scheme allows for several relaxations vis-à-vis building bye-laws.
The scheme, if taken up by residents will provide much-needed revenue for the cash-strapped Ghaziabad development authority (GDA) that has seen its expenses increase during the time of the pandemic. Officials expect that it would be a major relief even if they are able to receive about ₹100 crore under the scheme against the pending ₹500 crore on account of compounding.
Ghaziabad development authority (GDA) officials said that they scheme -- ‘self assessment compounding scheme – 2020’ -- will be adopted by July 21, as per the state government orders, and applications will be invited for six months up to January 21, 2021. Applications will be disposed of by April 21, 2021.
“The scheme was last floated in 2002 when the authority received about ₹15 crore. At present, we have about ₹500 crore pending on account of compounding charges. At present, for group housing (2,000 square metre [sq m] and above) constructing more than 10% of the sanctioned floor area ratio (FAR) is compoundable. Now, it has been relaxed and doubled to 20% under the scheme,” said Asheesh Shivpuri, authority’s chief architect and town planner.
Setbacks -- the minimum open space required around the structure of a building to allow for emergency services -- have been relaxed too.
“For plotted development equal to or less than 300 sqm area, the side and rear setbacks are now 100% compoundable from existing 25% for side and 50% for rear setback. For plots over 300 sq m but less than 2,000 sq m, the front setback was 10% compoundable but under the scheme it is now 25%. Likewise, rear setback was 50% compoundable, which is now 75%. The side setback remains unchanged at 25%,” Shivpuri said.
Officials said that the rates of compounding have also been reduced by almost half under the new scheme.
“For residential plots, the rate presently charged for compounding of setbacks was 100% of circle rates. Now it has been reduced to 50% for setbacks. For group housing, the rate is still 100% of circle rates, but they have been provided with additional relaxations in terms of FAR. For commercial plots, the rates were 200% of the land cost and it has now been reduced to 100%. Likewise, for offices, it was earlier 150% and now reduced to 75% under the new scheme,” he added.
The rates of compounding for economically weaker section and lower income groups was earlier 50% and now stands reduced to 37.5% under the new scheme, said officials.
If, however, the developers do not apply for the scheme and continue with the construction, the vice chairperson of the authority shall constitute teams and initiate sealing, legal action and even demolition under the provisions of the UP Urban Planning & Development Act,1973.
The directions further states that after the receipt of the application under the scheme, any other extra constructions, if not removed by the owner under a specific time period, shall be demolished by the authority under the provisions of law.
