Row erupts over DCPR ‘changes’ by state govt

Only corrections, says govt; planners claim they are amendments

MUMBAI: The state government has made around 200 changes to the Development Control and Promotions Regulations (DCPR) 2034 through a November 12 corrigendum after its excluded part was finally sanctioned on September 24. Following this, the DCPR 2034 came into force from November 13.

However, the large number of changes made to the DCPR after it s EP went through citizens’ suggestions and objections and received the state’s sanction has been criticised by architects and town planners. Some suspect the state made several changes to the DCPR 2034 in the name of ‘mere corrections’ to avoid public scrutiny. The state has however insisted that the changes are corrections that were needed for typographical reasons.

The changes were made as corrections to the EP text sanctioned by the Urban Development Department (UDD) in September. Some planners have called some of the changes ‘amendments’ which should have gone through the due process of suggestions and objections owing to their substantial nature.

However,nitinkareer,principal secretary of the UDD said, “We have taken the due process of suggestions and objections very seriously. Any changes that were made after that were only for either typographical errors or for provisions in the EP that contradicted provisions in the sanctioned part of the DCPR.” Kareer added if citizens object to any provision and write to the UDD, the case will be weighed again on merit.

City-based senior architect Shirish Sukhatme said the state has gone beyond correcting typographical errors. “They have made so many changes that substantially affect the real estate sector. Such changes cannot be made last minute without taking into consideration citizens’ opinions.” Another city-based senior architect, requesting anonymity said, “Such changes made to the DCPR are beyond correction of typographical errors, and should have gone through the process of suggestions. Instead they were issued through the corrigendum, the day before the DCPR came into force.” As per the changes made to the DCPR, land owners of reservations plots will now get additional floor space index (FSI) incentives if they hand over their plot for a public amenity within five years. The earlier provisions of the sanctioned EP had withdrawn such incentives. Among other changes, in case of rehabilitation projects, it is now not compulsory for developers to hand over free fungible FSI to house owners.

The corrigendum will be displayed at the BMC headquarters, and the office of the director of town planning for a month.