MCC does a reality check, alters masterplan

MANGALORE: Mangalore City Corporation has forwarded far reaching recommendations on simplifying provisions in the masterplan to Mangalore Urban Development Authority to mitigate problems faced by people.
This comes in the wake of criticism from various quarters about the provisions contained in the masterplan, which has been made stringent to facilitate orderly growth of the city horizontally rather than vertically.
Mayor M Shankar Bhat told reporters here on Friday that MUDA has to get approval from the government to the changes suggested by the civic body. We have got verbal assurances from the government in this regard, the mayor said adding that the changes suggested cover most of the demands of the people with regard to the plan, especially approval for single sites and where partition of family property is involved.
Raghupal, assistant town planning officer, said the changes suggested include doing away fully with levying penalty of 15% of land registration value for unauthorized layouts up to three cents, reducing by 50% the penalty amount for layouts from three to six cents, and by 25% for layouts from six to 12 cents. Full penalty of 15% will be levied on all unauthorized layouts above 12 cents, he said.
MUDA has been requested not to levy the above penalty is cases where family property is partitioned on condition that the person receiving such property does not enter i to sub-sale. Permission has been sought to construct houses of up to 150 sq.mt on three cents of agriculture land, a provision which does not exist in the current master plan, he said adding that 150 sq.mt area is for a building structure of ground plus first floor.
In case of 64 major roads earmarked by MUDA for widening up to 24 metres, people giving up their land for it could get transfer of development rights of 1:3 against existing 1:1.5. MUDA has been urged to exercise discretion on issue of widening roads in areas not proposed by it in master plan. Concessions in setbacks have been sought where not much land would be available for construction after giving up land for road widening.
People wanting to add floors to their existing building should be permitted to do so as per old comprehensive development plan but as per the master plan if it falls under area earmarked by MUDA for road widening. Other relaxations sought include those for building parking, for neighbourhood shops and providing a higher floor area ratio of 1:2 for smaller plots. This would be implemented once the government approves it, he said.