While developers enjoy policy benefits, civic body fails to take over parking lots from them
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)'s lackadaisical approach has left the ambitious public parking policy in a mess. While developers are being allowed to enjoy the benefits of the policy, the civic body lags behind in taking over parking lots.
In 2006-7, BMC had decided to dole out additional FSI benefit up to 4 to private developers in lieu of construction of public parking spaces for the civic body under 33(24) of Development Control Regulation 1991. Developers were expected to use the benefit of FSI for their commercial exploitation and in turn hand over the parking spaces to BMC for public use, and as many as 46,366 lots were to come up.
In the past nine years, however, the civic body has managed to take over only 4,264 parking spaces from developers.
"The civic body could not yield the fruits of this policy for the reasons best known to them. BMC has approved 65 proposals and have taken over only nine parking lots until now. Several parking lots are ready and are already in use, but BMC has not been given its share. How can the civic body get only 9 per cent of the mammoth 46,366 parking space? Which means either the policy is flawed with lacunae or the civic administration is unwilling to take over the parking spaces. Or the developers are cheating the civic body and no action is being taken against them," said Mohsin Haider, senior Congress corporator from Andheri.
Haider gave two examples to prove his point. "A parking lot in Topiwala Theatre in Goregaon, and another in Marol are ready and in full use by the developer. However, the parking spaces meant for the BMC are not handed over. No action has been taken by the BMC against the developer," he said.
However, Chandrashekar Chore, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (improvements), clarified that the BMC's stand saying that the civic administration was in the process of taking over the parking lots and that those developers unwilling to hand over the parking lots will be dealt with stricter action, even amounting to denial of various permissions for their constructions.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "parking")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}