GBA may regularise up to 15% deviation from bldg plan

Bengaluru: In a big relief to thousands of property owners unable to obtain occupancy certificates over deviations, Greater Bengaluru Authority has proposed to raise permissible deviation from sanctioned building plans from current 5% to 15%.GBA signalled a policy shift on urban regulation in a draft notification that seeks to amend the 2003 building bye-laws. Deviations beyond the 15% threshold will continue to attract enforcement action, including possible demolition.Objections and suggestions have been invited until April 30 after which amendments will be finalised.Under the existing rules, any construction exceeding the approved plan by more than 5% is treated as unauthorised. This has left many buildings without occupancy certificates, affecting access to civic services such as water and electricity connections.Officials said the proposed revision comes with caveats: Buildings must meet key safety requirements, structural stability, ventilation and access. The draft also allows commissioners to approve such cases if demolition is not feasible without affecting the structure.GBA chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao said the earlier limit had become impractical in a city with high land costs and dense development. Small plot sizes and spatial constraints often lead to variations in setbacks, floor area ratio and overall coverage.The revised framework introduces a system to regularise deviations through payment of compounding fees, calculated based on the guidance value of the land. It also sets out defined limits across parameters such as setbacks, FAR, building height and plot coverage to standardise enforcement.-----For Graphic: Big Changes:■ Current: 5% deviation from sanctioned plan allowed■ Proposed: Up to 15% deviation can be regularisedApplies To:■ Setbacks■ Plot coverage■ FAR (Floor Area Ratio)■ Building height (within approved floors)■ Regularisation allowed with penalty (Compounding)■ Buildings with deviations won't be demolished automaticallyPenalties: ■ If deviation is within limits, it can be regularised by paying penalty■ A minimum consideration of Rs 50,000 per sqm■ Penalties from various kinds of deviations range from 0.01% to 15% of the guidance value