Premium FAR scheme takes off as BBMP starts accepting applications

Bengaluru: The premium Floor Area Ratio (FAR) scheme has officially rolled out in Bengaluru, with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) beginning to accept applications from property owners and developers.

The development comes just weeks after the state government issued the final notification, amid concerns that taller buildings may further strain the city's infrastructure, including roads and sanitary lines.

BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath confirmed that the civic body's town planning department has already started receiving applications. “We have developed a new software to accept and process the applications digitally,” he said.

While the government has made public both the draft and final notifications of the policy, the BBMP is yet to disclose the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) it has internally adopted for processing the applications.

In its budget, the civic body has set an ambitious target of earning Rs 2,000 crore under this scheme.

A senior BBMP official said that no permissions have been granted under the new premium FAR policy so far.

“We have developed the software in accordance with the guidelines. The town planning department, being the competent authority, will collect the fees and approve building plans," he said, adding that only plots or under-construction buildings which meet certain criteria will be eligible. "Parking space and building setbacks are among the key conditions,” the official added.

The final notification, issued on April 2, following the release of the draft rules, introduces new zonal regulations allowing an increase in FAR by up to 60%. This enables builders to construct additional floors beyond the regular permissible limit, by paying 28% of the guidance value. The number of extra floors allowed will depend on factors such as the width of the abutting road and the size of the plot.    

As per the notification, the premium FAR policy is applicable not only within the BBMP limits, but also across nine surrounding suburban areas, including Kanakapura, Nelamangala, and Hoskote.

According to urban planning experts, the policy is tailored to benefit owners of large plots — typically over 5,000 sqft — since going vertical requires additional parking space and setbacks. The scheme is unlikely to benefit owners of smaller sites, such as 30x40 or 40x60 plots.

Until now, some builders have managed to add extra floors by falsely claiming the presence of wide roads or by simply widening the stretch in front of their properties, while the road connecting the plot remains narrow or undeveloped. Industry sources suggest that such tactics may persist despite the rollout of the premium FAR.

Meanwhile, several citizens have urged the BBMP and the state government not to consider applications from buildings that are already nearing completion or fully built.

They argue that this could disrupt the already allotted Undivided Share (UDS) of land, and exacerbate problems related to parking and other shared amenities.