DDA makes FAR verification process completely online

NEW DELHI: Aiming to help new commercial establishments, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will come up with new floor area ratio (FAR) measurements and convert the verification procedure of FAR completely online.

FAR is one of the major factors behind the ongoing sealing of various commercial establishments in the Capital.

"For optimal utilisation of commercial land, the Master Plan Delhi-2021 (MPD-2021) recommended enhancement of FAR," noted the Authority officials.

They said that the enhancements of the FAR plan was taken on 2007, but could not materialise. "The stakeholders were not coming forward to avail the enhanced FAR, may be because the process is very lengthy, cumbersome, time-consuming, etc. For Ease of Doing Business, it was felt to make the apportionment of FAR simple, transparent and online with minimum human intervention. For this, a fixed factor or quotient of enhanced FAR shall be put on the website," noted the officials.

Officials further stated that henceforth, applicants must upload self-attested scanned copy of the lease document/control drawing for online verification of auctioned FAR.

After verification, the additional FAR charges, along with the processing fee, shall be deposited online as per uploaded rates.

"The receipt generated shall be valid for processing the case for approval of building plans by the local body. The individual lessee or auction purchaser can submit building plans to the building department of the concerned local body for approval.

"This offer shall be valid for five years w.e.f. the date of uploading the same on the website and after the expiry of the stipulated period the Authority shall be within its rights to utilize the unclaimed FAR" DDA officials said.

The Authority has also decided that on the production of documentary evidence for non-sanction of plans by the statutory bodies, additional FAR charges – except processing fee – should be refunded without any interest.

The use of premises should be governed by lease conditions or auction conditions.

"The hotel plots may be excluded from the commercial centre for distribution of FAR," said the officials.

However, the FAR approval will be subject to certain conditions, including availability of parking space and statutory clearances related to building bylaws and fire safety.

Sources, meanwhile, said these conditions might pose a hurdle in giving the traders being affected by the sealing drive the desired relief.

Some DDA officials said that parking space was essential as commercial activity would be allowed on all floors. Shop-cum-residence plots are proposed to be given the "FAR of residential plots subject to availability of parking", said the DDA officials.