Hosps with Swasthya Sathi ward to get 10% extra FAR

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will allow extra FAR (Floor Area Ratio) to private hospitals and nursing homes if they come up with a separate ward for treating Swasthya Sathi patients.

"In an encouragement to private hospitals to render treatment under the Swasthya Sathi scheme, we will provide extra 10 per cent FAR for expansion of their existing treatment facilities or for new units. We will bring an amendment in existing Building Rules for providing this relaxation,"Firhad Hakim, Chairman Board of Administrators , KMC said.

The other urban local bodies across the state have also been asked to amend their building rules so that private hospitals come up with separate ward for treating patients with Swasthya Sathi cards.

In the beginning of this month, Hakim held a meeting with the authorities of 32 private hospitals in the city for streamlining the treatment of patients having Swasthya Sathi cards and suggested setting up of separate ward for Swasthya Sathi card holders.

KMC Building department has already decided to give a special FAR of 10 per cent for the entrepreneurs, who will either expand their business or set up new commercial units in the city's declared commercial zones.

Apart from the Central Business District (CBD) some prime areas in the city have been specified among the commercial zones.

Meanwhile, in a significant stride towards Ease of Doing Business (EODB), the state Labour department in collaboration with KMC has come up with a single application form for procurement of trade licence and shop & establishment licence.

Previously for doing any business activity in a municipal area, a person had to apply separately for the both the licences and the issuance took a reasonable time.