Maharashtra unveils uniform developmental rules in the state to boost real estate activity

In one of the major decisions, Maharashtra government has now unveiled Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) across the state which is expected to boost real estate activity across the state.

UDCPR will be applicable across the state except in places such as Mumbai and other special planning authorities like Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA), Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), hill station municipal councils and eco-sensitive zones.

The new rules would result in liberal showering of floor space index (FSI) which would translate to skyscrapers dotting the sky across the state.

According to an Urban Development Department (UDD) official, this was being done on the lines of Ease of Doing Business initiative. “Every municipal corporation and council had their own rules which have majorly become obsolete. This was hindering growth in these places. UDCPR would correct this anomaly and boost growth,” said the official who refused to come on record.

UDCPR mandates that permissible FSI will be linked to the length of the adjoining roads. It has given 60% additional FSI above the permissible FSI for residential and 80% for commercial spaces.

In addition, as per UDPCR, there is no need for permission in case of constructing temporary site offices, sample flats and labour camps for construction sites.

Ekta World, a leading construction firm which has various projects across the state like Nashik, Pune, Virar and Mumbai, has welcomed UDCPR. “We used to face a lot of problems in planning as there were different rules in different places. This problem is taken care of now due to uniform rules,” said Ashok Mohanani, chairman of Ekta World.

The Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI-CREDAI), an association of builders, said the move will give a boost to affordable housing. “Higher FSI means more houses. This will encourage builders to go for affordable housing units,” said Manohar Shroff, senior vice-president, MCHI-CREDAI (Navi Mumbai).

However, environmentalists called this a builder-centric approach. “The entire UDCPR is tailor-made to give more FSI to builders. There is no thought given to the corresponding infrastructure and open spaces. This will cause environmental havoc,” warned noted environmentalist Debi Goenka.