KMC mulling to provide extra FAR to those handing over vacant lands to civic body

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation is mulling to provide extra FAR (Floor Area Ratio) to a person at some other place if the latter hands over any vacant land owned by him/her to the civic body. It has plans to use this vacant plot for developing a playground, park or similar facilities for citizens.

"We have approved a proposal of FAR shifting at the Board of Administrators (BOA) meeting. If a person hands over a vacant land owned by him/her, the civic body may provide him extra FAR at another place. I have formed a committee which will frame guidelines for this in accordance with the IGR or the market value of the land that will be handed over to the KMC," said Firhad Hakim, Chairman BOA, KMC.

The committee has BOA members Atin Ghosh, who is in charge of the Health & Assessment departments, Debasish Kumar who is in charge of Parks & Gardens, Swapan Samaddar, in-charge of Environment and Baiswanor Chatterjee in-charge of the Law department. "They will frame a proper policy and regulation in this matter and submit the same to me and accordingly approval may be given," Hakim said.

Sources in the civic body said the committee will ensure that neither the party who hands over such land nor the KMC get any undue advantage from this deal or incur any loss in such a matter.

The proposal for such FAR shifting has been under active consideration of the KMC's Building department as it has been found that there are still some vacant lands in the city where heaps of garbage have piled up for years or there have been attempts by land sharks to grab such plots.