Assembly adopts Bill that provides for grant of additional floor area ratio by paying 40% of guidance value

A file photo of a construction site in Bengaluru. The Legislative Assembly on Tuesday adopted the Karnataka Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The Legislative Assembly on Tuesday adopted the Karnataka Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which provides for availing of additional floor area ratio (FAR) by paying a rate not less than 40% of the guidance value. The Bill was passed without discussion amid dharna by the Opposition members.

Speaker U.T. Khader allowed the Bill to be taken up for consideration when the Opposition members were staging a dharna in the Well of the House demanding action against Ramanagara sub-inspector in connection with a lawyers’ protest there.

Piloting the Bill, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar explained that the maximum additional floor area ratio per premium floor area ratio that may be purchased for a permitted building under this section shall not exceed 60% of the normal permissible floor area ratio.

‘Will help big builders’

Taking exception to the provisions of the Bill, BJP leader and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai alleged that the amendment to the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act would help big builders to indulge in irregularities. He said the proposed amendment was in favour of the rich and influential builders, and it would in no way help the common man.

“The BJP would oppose the Bill tooth and nail as it would pave the way for large-scale irregularities,” he said and urged Mr. Shivakumar to review the proposed amendment because it would not benefit the land-losing farmers in any manner. Pointing out that the government had been granting TDRs for the land-losers so that they could earn some profits by selling them to builders, he said TDRs would lose their importance as builders could easily get additional floor area ratio by paying 40% of guidance value.

He expressed concern that allowing indiscriminate granting of additional floor area ratio would further lead to congestion of Bengaluru and lead to hapazard development, causing further civic problems.

Mr. Shivakumar, however, defended the Bill saying the law itself had a provision for granting additional floor area ratio. The Bill was finally approved by voice vote.