Bmc Plans Extra Fsi To Woo Builders For Hospital Projects

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is working on a project to woo the city's builders to participate in the construction of hospitals and health centres, dispensary without putting any strain on the corporation's resources.

According to the proposal, the BMC will offer extra Floor Space Index (FSI) to the builders willing to take up projects to construct hospitals and health centres on the private land reserved for these projects. The government has a committee to decide the private lands that needs to be reserved for these sorts of projects.

Besides, the builders are entitled for extra FSI if they take up reconstruction of hospitals that are virtually irreparable.

 

The extra FSI (essentially, this will mean permission to builders to use more space for construction) can be used by the builder for commercial purposes. They are free to convert the plot into a shopping complex or to construct residential buildings," a BMC official said.

Officials said that plans, if and when they get approved by the Improvements Committee of the Corporation and subsequently by the House, will mean a big bonanza for the builders. At the same time, the project will provide a great service to the public.

The BMC had used the same ploy to attract the builders in the development of Borivali market. The BMC had invited tenders for the project and the condition set was that all the 139 tenants in the existing building should be provided with the same area in the new building. The main advantage according to BMC officials is that there will be an underground car parking facility and also the adjoining road will be widened.

A BMC official said that due to shortage of funds they have not been able to carry out certain projects. ``We have land reserved for our various projects . But due to paucity of funds the plots were lying unused. So we thought of trying this route by extending sops to builders," an official pointed out.

When asked whether there will be takers for the projects considering the slump in the real estate market, an official said, ``The slump is temporary. I don't think builders won't go in for a project in places like where land prices are high. After all, the builders are viewing this as a long term investment." When asked about the poor response to the Slum Redevelopment Scheme even after offering sops on the same line to builders, an official said, In our project, for instance, the builder gives 100 sq ft land and he gets the same area for commercial purposes," Officials said there are over 100 health centres that are to be reconstructed and another 1000 plots spread all over the city, reserved for health centres and hospitals. These are mainly in the suburbs extending to Dahisar on the western line and Mulund in the eastern suburbs.

The BMC is planning to extend facilities on the same lines to builders for construction of schools, which is in the initial stage.

However, a BMC official said that if BMC is going ahead with these plans by the turn of the 21st century there will be no single piece of land owned by the corporation.The extra FSI (essentially, this will mean permission to builders to use more space for construction) can be used by the builder for commercial purposes. They are free to convert the plot into a shopping complex or to construct residential buildings," a BMC official said