Land development rules eased for industry

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, November 14

The Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department has simplified rules and regulations to attract investors.

The decision, which is a step towards ease of doing business initiative, has eased the stringent floor-area ratio (FAR), which is the ratio between a building’s total constructed floor area and the land area, as well as the setback stipulations (the vacant area left around the constructed area) to ensure the maximum use of space. MoUs worth Rs 12,278 crore have been signed in the housing sector while the manufacturing and pharmaceutical sectors have attracted the Rs 13,015 crore proposed investment after a series of investor meets. “There was a lopsided policy where the permissible height of buildings in areas like Parwanoo, which was relatively plain, was lower than that in Kullu and other such hilly areas. In a bid to rationalise it, a scientific analysis has been undertaken and relaxations have been proposed to facilitate the investor,” said Director, TCP, Lalit Jain.

He said for setting up an industry, the height of a building now would not be linked to FAR and there be no limit on the building’s height while the maximum setback of two metre and the maximum FAR of two would be permissible. It would ensure the maximum use of space.

The rules had also been defined for various categories of industries like small scale, service/light scale, medium, large and heavy scale where FAR from 2 to 1 had been proposed. The department had invited public suggestions on the proposed rules for the realty sector and these would be notified early next month after the completion of the formalities. Earlier, the industry had to grapple with different rules for the hilly areas and one for the plain areas which created a discrimination.

The state is being seen a key real estate destination with major players like Club Mahindra evincing keen interest in investing here. The TCP Department will relax the stipulations where FAR of 1.75 has been fixed for the realty sector and the minimum setback has been kept at three metre. the maximum height for real estate projects has also been proposed at 25 m for plains and 30 m for hills.