HC reserves judgment on PIL against state FSI stand

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday reserved its judgment in a public interest litigation challenging the Maharashtra governments policy allowing 33% increase in building rights in the form of Floor Space Index (FSI).

A division bench of Justice F I Rebello and Justice Amjad Sayed will deliver the judgment in due course. The state in 2008 had introduced changes to the Development Control regulations and allowed additional construction rights by hiking the FSI in Mumbai suburbs from 1 to 1.33. To avail of the benefit, a premium had to be paid.

According to the petitioners the government’s decision would “change the face of Mumbai’’. The PIL claimed that the additional FSI would put a strain on the environment, of the burden on the city’s infrastructure, traffic and civic amenities. The petition also contended that proper rules were not followed while approving the “largesse’’.

The state has however denied that the extra FSI would put pressure on the infrastructure. The government also alleged that a TDR cartel was behind the opposition to the FSI policy.