New DP eases procedure of getting construction permit

Mumbai: Seeking construction permissions from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has become easier now.

As a part of ‘Ease of Doing Business’ process, Mumbai’s Development Plan 2034 (DP) has slashed 23 of the 35 discretionary powers of the civic chief.

According to civic officials, under the earlier DP and the Development Control Rules (DCR), the municipal commissioner had discretionary powers to sanction 35 types of construction permissions. In the DP 2034, the BMC had proposed to reduce the number by 23. While approving the DP, the state government has accepted these suggestions, which means the civic chief will now have the power to grant only 12 types of permissions.

“Of the 12 permissions, four comes under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act (MRTP) and hence they cannot be relaxed. They include condoning of the deficiency in open space, allowing fungible FSI (floor space index), to allow the area of staircase, staircase lobby, lift, lift lobby and to grant additional FSI admissible under regulation 33(2) for technical and medical institution and institutional buildings of government and semi-government offices/public undertaking buildings and technology establishment/regional buildings,” said a senior civic official.

Other permissions the civic chief can grant include allowing recreation ground in odd shape to be paved for vehicles, condoning the segregation distance, allowing the inadequate width of staircase, and allowing single car lift instead of the required two.

“The 23 permissions, which have been excluded, will now be sanctioned by the heads of the respective departments making the process more convenient and transparent,” said the official.

The major discretionary powers, which have been curtailed, include construction of an internal staircase in duplex flats or restaurants, commissioning of a nursing home or a shop in the building, the size of lift and surrounding lobby, construction of electricity sub-station, society office in society premises etc.

Permissions retained

• To condone the deficiency in open space
• To allow fungible FSI
• To allow the area of the staircase, staircase lobby, lift and lift lobby
• To grant additional FSI admissible under regulation 33(2) for the technical and medical institution and institutional buildings of government and semi-government offices/public undertakings and technology establishment/
• regional offices.