Latest news with #FSI
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Pune & Khadki cantonment residents seek clarity on FSI after merger approval with PMC
Pune: Residents and civic activists have sought clarity about the future floor space index (FSI) regulations in Pune and Khadki cantonment areas, following state govt's approval to merge them into Pune Municipal Corporation limits. The cantonment boards have submitted proposals recommending a maximum FSI of 1 in the merged areas, considering defence establishment security needs. This is higher than the current 0.5 FSI in the cantonment areas but lower than PMC's 1.1-3 FSI range. The boards emphasized that any excision (or exclusion) from their jurisdiction should not lead to unrestricted FSI. PMC commissioner Naval Kishore Ram told TOI, "The FSI is the paramount factor for the development of any municipal body. While the chief minister has expressed a desire to develop Pune and Khadki cantonment boards and provide quality civic services, there was no discussion or decision on the FSI in the meeting. So, at this juncture, we cannot comment further on the matter." You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune On the Old Grant Bungalows (OGBs) properties, Ram said, "We will study the nitty-gritty of these properties in the coming days. I will personally visit the PCB and KCB areas. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Exciting Offers on vivo X200 FE ViVO X200 FE Book Now Undo If required, our officials will also conduct a preliminary survey there to understand the issue on the ground." As far as the merging of the cantonment assets was concerned, Ram said, "We are absolutely clear on this matter. We will merge as it is." Sachin Mathurawala, the only nominated board member of the PCB, told TOI, "There is a lack of clarity regarding the FSI and properties associated with old grants to date. For the public interest, this is the most important factor, as it will determine the future development of cantonment areas." C Ravindra, principal director (defence estates), Southern Command, who is the head of the 19 cantonments of the Southern Command, did not respond to TOI's phone calls and messages. A senior official from the Directorate General of Defence Estates, who attended the meeting, said, "We have already submitted our proposals to state govt, where we specifically addressed the FSI and the security concerns of local military authorities. Following Friday's meeting, we expect to receive govt's feedback in writing, which we will then present to the ministry for a final decision." The residents argued that FSI restrictions were a significant obstacle to the development of cantonment areas. Activist Rajabhau Chavan said, "We should have an FSI similar to that of PMC. There should be no restrictions on it." A trader from MG Road, who has been running his business for the last three decades, said, "The cantonment authorities did not pay heed to people's issues for the last decade." Another businessman, who runs an apparel store on MG Road, said, "Gardens in the cantonment are in a bad state, roads are riddled with potholes, health services are substandard, garbage disposal and the overall development of the Pune cantonment are in a pathetic state. The merger was much needed for us." A section of old residents expressed sadness about losing the 'peculiar identity' of the cantonment. "The Pune and Khadki cantonment boards are one of the oldest military garrisons in the country. Each corner of them holds historical significance. They have seen several military actions and decisions in the past. The houses, food, arts, culture, people's lifestyle, and so many factors are different from the rest of the city. All these things are likely to become history after the merger," said Col Vinay Dalvi (retd,) who served in the Southern Command.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Chennai's third master plan to drive vertical growth, housing, and civic upgrades, ETInfra
Advt Advt Soon, residents can look forward to living closer to work, more housing options, and better civic infrastructure . CMDA's upcoming third master plan is considering a higher FSI in key zones, mixed-use development , and phased upgrades to support compact, vertical growth across the city. Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is preparing the third master plan (TMP) for the 1,189 sq km of Chennai Metropolitan Area. To reshape Chennai's skyline, the plan proposes higher FSI in targeted zones such as metro corridors, entertainment zones, commercial centres, and industrial belts to boost vertical growth."We need to make better use of city space — increasing FSI near metros, malls, green zones, and industrial areas in a planned manner, rather than blindly, will help more people live closer to work and transport, while making the most of existing infrastructure," said a CMDA CMDA is also planning to improve underground amenities to support vertical growth. "We understand that increasing FSI without adequate infrastructure upgrades — particularly underground sewage, water supply, and roads — could strain already overstretched civic services. We recommend phasing utilities based on carrying capacity," the official critical aspect is the integration of slum communities into the urban framework. With an estimated 40 per cent of the city's population living in informal settlements, experts say the master plan must go beyond relocation and focus on in-situ redevelopment."This includes scaling up FSI in legally recognised slum areas, providing employment linkages, and creating essential social infrastructure. We are not doing justice if we don't take care of their needs," the official added. "Relocating them far away breaks their social fabric and denies them dignity."There is also a demand to rethink land use strategies. Planners say Chennai needs a more practical and flexible land use map that reduces agricultural zoning and increases mixed-use zones to reflect evolving urban patterns. Such flexibility would ease the burden of land use change processes, which are currently mired in bureaucracy.K P Subramanian, urban planner, said that flexible land use zoning is a welcome move. "The second master plan has more than 10 land use zones, making the plan rigid. It may be reduced to a few such as urbanisable, conservation, and hazardous to make the master plan development-friendly," he added that a cautious approach is required to increase FSI. It calls for a detailed study to match the infrastructure. "The objective of the first and the second master plans was to decentralise the CBD and the city, and the plans proposed six urban nodes and four new towns to achieve the objective. That strategy is valid even today and can be pursued. Another critical issue is the inter-institutional coordination. The onus to make other functional agencies have a sense of ownership for the master plan lies with CMDA," he minister P K Sekarbabu said that the master plan will be rolled out on time.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
City to grow taller under CMDA's third master plan
Chennai: Soon, residents can look forward to living closer to work, more housing options, and better civic infrastructure. CMDA's upcoming third master plan is considering a higher FSI in key zones, mixed-use development, and phased upgrades to support compact, vertical growth across the city. Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is preparing the third master plan (TMP) for the 1,189 sq km of Chennai Metropolitan Area. To reshape Chennai's skyline, the plan proposes higher FSI in targeted zones such as metro corridors, entertainment zones, commercial centres, and industrial belts to boost vertical growth. "We need to make better use of city space — increasing FSI near metros, malls, green zones, and industrial areas in a planned manner, rather than blindly, will help more people live closer to work and transport, while making the most of existing infrastructure," said a CMDA official. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai Meanwhile, CMDA is also planning to improve underground amenities to support vertical growth. "We understand that increasing FSI without adequate infrastructure upgrades — particularly underground sewage, water supply, and roads — could strain already overstretched civic services. We recommend phasing utilities based on carrying capacity," the official said. Another critical aspect is the integration of slum communities into the urban framework. With an estimated 40% of the city's population living in informal settlements, experts say the master plan must go beyond relocation and focus on in-situ redevelopment. "This includes scaling up FSI in legally recognised slum areas, providing employment linkages, and creating essential social infrastructure. We are not doing justice if we don't take care of their needs," the official added. "Relocating them far away breaks their social fabric and denies them dignity." There is also a demand to rethink land use strategies. Planners say Chennai needs a more practical and flexible land use map that reduces agricultural zoning and increases mixed-use zones to reflect evolving urban patterns. Such flexibility would ease the burden of land use change processes, which are currently mired in bureaucracy. K P Subramanian, urban planner, said that flexible land use zoning is a welcome move. "The second master plan has more than 10 land use zones, making the plan rigid. It may be reduced to a few such as urbanisable, conservation, and hazardous to make the master plan development-friendly," he said. He added that a cautious approach is required to increase FSI. It calls for a detailed study to match the infrastructure. "The objective of the first and the second master plans was to decentralize the CBD and the city, and the plans proposed six urban nodes and four new towns to achieve the objective. That strategy is valid even today and can be pursued. Another critical issue is the inter-institutional coordination. The onus to make other functional agencies have a sense of ownership for the master plan lies with CMDA," he added. CMDA minister P K Sekarbabu said that the master plan will be rolled out on time.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Collector announces task force to speed up land acquisition in Pimpri Chinchwad
1 2 Pune: District collector Jitendra Dudi on Monday said a special task force would be set up to expedite land acquisition for various development projects, primarily roads, in Pimpri Chinchwad, with a deadline of Sept 5. A PCMC official attributed the delays to coordination between govt departments. "The district administration has prepared a plan to remove hurdles in the land acquisition process and ensure speedy implementation. A separate task force comprising officials from all departments concerned will be formed to address the issue," Dudi said, following a review meeting with PCMC commissioner Shekhar Singh and other officials involved in the acquisition process. The collector said he would personally oversee the progress through monthly review meetings. "The land acquisition process should be completed in three phases, starting with land surveys and preparing maps within a fixed timeline, followed by collecting measurement fees, completing the measurement process within the designated period and carrying out the actual acquisition," he said. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune A senior PCMC official, who attended the meeting, said the task force would include officials from the district land acquisition department, land records department and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), with a designated nodal officer from the land acquisition department to oversee the entire process and organise coordination meetings. "The team will prioritise all pending land acquisition matters and expedite key steps like notification issuance, land measurement and documentation," the official said. The PCMC commissioner said around 50 land acquisition cases, mostly related to proposed road developments, were pending with the administration. "Officials have been told to prioritise land acquisition through transferable development rights (TDR) and floor space index (FSI) wherever applicable," he said. Officials said PCMC could acquire land using TDR or FSI on its own as per the rules. "Cases where landowners willingly consent to give up their land can also be managed at the municipal level. Only cases requiring compulsory acquisition, where landowners refuse to part with their land, are escalated to the collector, who is authorised to handle such acquisitions under the Land Acquisition Act," an official said. PCMC has identified 42 missing links. Another senior PCMC official said the process for the land acquisition for all these missing links would be taken up with the new task force. Apart from roads, acquisition for several other facilities like the proposed fire station in Dighi, sewage treatment plant in Punawale, and playground for children in Pimple Gurav were also discussed in the meeting. Pending key road projects Dehu to Talawade: 18m Talawade to Spine Road (Nigdi): 18m Widening of 12m service roads on both sides of the Pune-Bengaluru highway Veer Baba Chowk to Mamurdi: 18m Three roads proposed in Wakad: 36m, 24m and 30m Rahatni to Kalewadi: 12m Widening of Pune-Alandi road Road adjacent to Indrayani river in Chikhali: 18m
India Today
6 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Fewer slabs, simpler rules? Next GST Council meet may trigger overhaul
From simplification to slab cuts: What to expect from upcoming GST Council meet?India may be heading for changes in its goods and services tax (GST) system since it was introduced eight years upcoming GST Council meeting, likely to be held in August 2025 after the monsoon session of Parliament, could bring key reforms in the way GST is structured and to a report by The Economic Times, the Prime Minister's Office has given an in-principle nod for a complete review of the GST system. The finance ministry has already started internal consultations and will soon begin discussions with state governments to build support for the proposed ON RATE RATIONALISATION AND SIMPLIFICATIONThe Centre is working on a plan that includes changes in tax rates, fewer slabs, and simpler rules. These changes aim to reduce confusion, make tax compliance easier, and give relief to businesses and Mani, Partner, Indirect Tax at BDO India, said one of the key expectations from the 56th GST Council meeting is the long-pending decision on GST rate rationalisation.'Important items that could be discussed include GST on health and term life insurance premiums, charges by food delivery platforms, GST on drones, and charges collected by municipalities for granting extra floor space index (FSI),' he also mentioned that the Council may finally take a call on whether services provided by intermediaries to foreign clients should be treated as exports.'This issue has been a major point of conflict, especially for back-office service providers and Global Capability Centres (GCCs). A favourable decision will help resolve many ongoing tax disputes,' Mani UP THE GST TRIBUNALAnother key expectation from the meeting is clarity on the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT).Currently, in the absence of GSTAT, businesses are forced to take tax disputes directly to High Courts, which has added to the backlog of pending cases.'The Council needs to assess the progress made on GSTAT and take the necessary steps to fast-track its implementation,' said RESTRUCTURING ON THE CARDSOne of the biggest changes under consideration is reducing the number of GST slabs. At present, there are five main tax rates, nil, 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28%, along with two special rates of 0.25% and 3% for certain goods like precious all GST goods, about 21% are taxed at 5%, 19% at 12%, and 44% at 18%. Only 3% of items fall under the top 28% are examining the possibility of removing the 12% slab and shifting its items to either 5% or 18%. This move is expected to make the system easier to understand and manage.A senior government official told ET that now is a good time for such a reform. 'Macroeconomic conditions are strong and stable. A simplified GST could boost the economy further,' the official GST reforms are also part of India's effort to gear up for future free trade agreements (FTAs) with developed countries. A smoother tax system will help Indian businesses scale up more easily and take advantage of new global CESS AND FISCAL PLANSThe GST compensation cess, which is charged on items like cigarettes, large cars, and soft drinks, was introduced to make up for any loss of revenue states might face after GST was rolled Centre had agreed to compensate states for five years till June 2022. But due to the Covid pandemic and a sharp fall in revenue, it borrowed Rs 2.69 lakh crore to support states. To repay this amount, the cess has now been extended until March 31, 2026.A separate group of ministers is working on how to handle the extra funds in the compensation cess account and what should be done with it once the dues are cleared.- EndsMust Watch advertisement
