Additional 50% FAR with transferable development rights for EWS: Rajya Sabha told

Union minister of state for housing and urban affairs Tokhan Sahu said a Technology and Innovation Sub-Mission (TISM) ) has been set up under PMAY (U) 2.0

An allowance of an additional 50% floor area ratio (FAR) with transferable development rights (TDR) for economically weaker sections (EWS) and low-income groups (LIG) housing and a provision for mandatory reservation of 5% of built-up area for housing economically weaker sections in all housing projects beyond 10,000 sqm built-up area or 5,000 sqm plot area are some of the policies being advocated by the union government under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0 to augment the affordable housing stock in the country, the Rajya Sabha was told on Monday.

TDRs, or Transferable Development Rights, function as permits for construction that are independent of land ownership

TDRs, or Transferable Development Rights, function as permits for construction that are independent of land ownership. They enable landowners facing development restrictions to sell or transfer these rights to other landowners in regions where development is allowed or promoted.

Union minister of state for housing and urban affairs Tokhan Sahu said a Technology and Innovation Sub-Mission (TISM) ) has been set up under PMAY (U) 2.0 to promote innovative, sustainable, eco-friendly and disaster-resilient technologies and building materials.

Sahu, who was responding to a question by Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut on integrating affordable housing and urban infrastructure, said the central government has reduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) on under-construction affordable housing project from 8% to 1% without Input Tax Credit (ITC) and accorded infrastructure status to affordable housing.

In response to another question by Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’ Brien on the increase in slums over the last five years, Sahu said the most recent data on slums was from 2012.

According to that, the estimated number of slums in the country stood at 33,510, which includes 13,761 notified slums and 19,749 non-notified slums. He also said that during the 2011 Census, 6.54 crore people comprising 1.39 crore households lived in slums across the country.