Road works deadline: BMP seeks to dilute TDR terms

Road works deadline: BMP seeks to dilute TDR terms
By Prathima Nandakumar
DH News Service Bangalore:
The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) has finally zeroed in on four roads for widening, before the December deadline...

The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) has finally zeroed in on four roads for widening, before the December deadline. The BMP is forced to go slow on road widening as the private property owners are reluctant to opt for Transferable Development Rights(TDR) - the policy of awarding certain amount of additional built up area in lieu of the area relinquished or surrendered by the land owner. To tide over the crisis, the BMP has now sent a proposal to the government to modify the TDR ‘terms and conditions’.

“The modifications will liberalise the TDR scheme, which will attract the property owners to avail of Development Rights’ Certificates (DRC), which can even be sold to other buyers. We will try to impress upon the potential buyers of TDRs - builders and real estate developers, as it will ensure competitive pricing of the land,” said a BMP official.

TDR was introduced following an amendment to the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act 1961, which empowered the local bodies to permit additional floor area ratio (FAR) for the land handed over by the property owner free of cost for road widening, or other development works - like new roads, parks, playgrounds and other civic amenities. The snail-paced progress of road widening, which was proposed by the State government earlier this year, is a fallout of the poor response to TDR. The government had suggested widening of 90 roads across the city (as per the recommendations of KC Reddy Report) by end of December 2006. But, only five property owners came forward to avail of TDR.


Meanwhile, the BMP kickstarted the project with four roads involving very little acquisition of private land. “We will widen four roads namely Seshadri Road, Race Course Road, Kasturba Road. The project entrusted to Karnataka Road Development Corporation (KRDCL), involves a total length of six kilometres and is expected to cost Rs 13 crore. But we need to acquire more lands to start work on the other stretches,” said a BMP official. BMP has sent a proposal to the government seeking modifications to the rules, to ‘liberalise’ and ‘popularise’ the scheme. The proposal for modification in the terms and conditions of the TDR rule, was submitted to the State government on September 25, 2006. “The last date for filing objections is October 25, after which the government will approve the draft and order the final notification,” said officials.

PROPOSED CHANGES

TDR ZONES

Rule: The city is divided into different zones based on the density of growth - intensively developed (A), moderately developed (B) and sparsely developed (C). TDR is allowed only from intensely developed zone to other zones and not vice versa.

If Modified: DRC can be utilised in all the areas irrespective of A,B, and C zones. provided the receiving plot abuts a road width between 9 m(30 ft) to 12 m (40 ft).

UTILISATION OF DRC

Rule: The DRC can be utilised either at the remaining portion of the area after surrender or at another plot. In case the additional floor area is transferred to another plot, the receiving plot can utilise a maximum of 0.6 times the eligible FAR for that plot.

If Modified: The Authority may permit tolerance of up to ten percent over and above the permissible limits in the local planning area (LPA), which includes municipal councils and remaining part of the State. In the Corporation limits, the FAR of the receiving plot may go up to 0.6 times the existing FAR.

ROAD WIDTH

Rule: The receiving plot shall abut a road not less than 12 m (40 ft) wide.

If Modified: The receiving plot shall abut a road not less than 9 m (30 ft).Road works deadline: BMP seeks to dilute TDR terms
By Prathima Nandakumar
DH News Service Bangalore:
The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) has finally zeroed in on four roads for widening, before the December deadline...

The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) has finally zeroed in on four roads for widening, before the December deadline. The BMP is forced to go slow on road widening as the private property owners are reluctant to opt for Transferable Development Rights(TDR) - the policy of awarding certain amount of additional built up area in lieu of the area relinquished or surrendered by the land owner. To tide over the crisis, the BMP has now sent a proposal to the government to modify the TDR ‘terms and conditions’.

“The modifications will liberalise the TDR scheme, which will attract the property owners to avail of Development Rights’ Certificates (DRC), which can even be sold to other buyers. We will try to impress upon the potential buyers of TDRs - builders and real estate developers, as it will ensure competitive pricing of the land,” said a BMP official.

TDR was introduced following an amendment to the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act 1961, which empowered the local bodies to permit additional floor area ratio (FAR) for the land handed over by the property owner free of cost for road widening, or other development works - like new roads, parks, playgrounds and other civic amenities. The snail-paced progress of road widening, which was proposed by the State government earlier this year, is a fallout of the poor response to TDR. The government had suggested widening of 90 roads across the city (as per the recommendations of KC Reddy Report) by end of December 2006. But, only five property owners came forward to avail of TDR.


Meanwhile, the BMP kickstarted the project with four roads involving very little acquisition of private land. “We will widen four roads namely Seshadri Road, Race Course Road, Kasturba Road. The project entrusted to Karnataka Road Development Corporation (KRDCL), involves a total length of six kilometres and is expected to cost Rs 13 crore. But we need to acquire more lands to start work on the other stretches,” said a BMP official. BMP has sent a proposal to the government seeking modifications to the rules, to ‘liberalise’ and ‘popularise’ the scheme. The proposal for modification in the terms and conditions of the TDR rule, was submitted to the State government on September 25, 2006. “The last date for filing objections is October 25, after which the government will approve the draft and order the final notification,” said officials.

PROPOSED CHANGES

TDR ZONES

Rule: The city is divided into different zones based on the density of growth - intensively developed (A), moderately developed (B) and sparsely developed (C). TDR is allowed only from intensely developed zone to other zones and not vice versa.

If Modified: DRC can be utilised in all the areas irrespective of A,B, and C zones. provided the receiving plot abuts a road width between 9 m(30 ft) to 12 m (40 ft).

UTILISATION OF DRC

Rule: The DRC can be utilised either at the remaining portion of the area after surrender or at another plot. In case the additional floor area is transferred to another plot, the receiving plot can utilise a maximum of 0.6 times the eligible FAR for that plot.

If Modified: The Authority may permit tolerance of up to ten percent over and above the permissible limits in the local planning area (LPA), which includes municipal councils and remaining part of the State. In the Corporation limits, the FAR of the receiving plot may go up to 0.6 times the existing FAR.

ROAD WIDTH

Rule: The receiving plot shall abut a road not less than 12 m (40 ft) wide.

If Modified: The receiving plot shall abut a road not less than 9 m (30 ft).