<p>Bengaluru: The Congress-led Karnataka government on Tuesday withdrew the Bill on premium floor area ratio (FAR) in the Assembly, as these provisions — which allow developers to pay a premium to construct additional floors beyond the permissible limits — already exist, it's learnt.</p>.<p>Top sources told <em>DH</em> that the government will shortly roll out the premium FAR by framing rules to an existing amendment, which was passed during the BJP's tenure in October 2020.</p>.<p>"The Bill needed to be withdrawn because the government had already passed the Karnataka Town and Country Planning (Fourth Amendment) Act in 2020,” sources said. The amendment, they added, includes a provision to levy premium charges for granting an additional floor area ratio in areas identified for this purpose in the zonal regulations of the master plan, as well as to increase the resources of the planning authorities.</p>.<p>The amendment — passed during former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa’s tenure — was published in the Karnataka gazette and is available on the official website of the Department of Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation. It received the governor's assent on October 16, 2020, but did not come into force as the rules were not framed.</p>.Admitting flaws, Karnataka government withdraws 'premium' FAR Bill.<p>As per Section 18-B of the amendment, the price for obtaining permission for the construction of additional floors has also been fixed. "The authority may levy premium charges at such a rate not less than 50% of the estimated increase in the value of land and building, as prescribed by the government from time to time, for granting premium floor area ratio, not exceeding the limits specified in the zonal regulations of the master plan," the act states.</p>.<p>This is likely to put the BJP on the backfoot.</p>.<p>When the Congress-led government had introduced the Bill on premium FAR in both houses of the legislature earlier this year, BJP legislators strongly opposed the move, fearing that Bengaluru would be choked with high-rise buildings.</p>.<p>BJP leaders Basavaraj Bommai and C N Ashwath Narayan had called the Bill "dangerous."</p>.<p>A BBMP official said that the premium FAR cannot be used for the construction of additional floors on all roads. “The government will frame rules to allow high-rise buildings by operationalising the zoning regulations. The vertical growth will depend on the width of the adjoining road,” he said.</p>.<p>While the Congress-led government had fixed 40 per cent of the guidance value for allowing additional floors in the now-withdrawn premium FAR bill, the pricing set in the 2020 KTCP amendment could lead to ambiguity, as it specifies 50 per cent of the estimated increase in the value of land and building, which is difficult to determine.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Congress-led Karnataka government on Tuesday withdrew the Bill on premium floor area ratio (FAR) in the Assembly, as these provisions — which allow developers to pay a premium to construct additional floors beyond the permissible limits — already exist, it's learnt.</p>.<p>Top sources told <em>DH</em> that the government will shortly roll out the premium FAR by framing rules to an existing amendment, which was passed during the BJP's tenure in October 2020.</p>.<p>"The Bill needed to be withdrawn because the government had already passed the Karnataka Town and Country Planning (Fourth Amendment) Act in 2020,” sources said. The amendment, they added, includes a provision to levy premium charges for granting an additional floor area ratio in areas identified for this purpose in the zonal regulations of the master plan, as well as to increase the resources of the planning authorities.</p>.<p>The amendment — passed during former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa’s tenure — was published in the Karnataka gazette and is available on the official website of the Department of Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation. It received the governor's assent on October 16, 2020, but did not come into force as the rules were not framed.</p>.Admitting flaws, Karnataka government withdraws 'premium' FAR Bill.<p>As per Section 18-B of the amendment, the price for obtaining permission for the construction of additional floors has also been fixed. "The authority may levy premium charges at such a rate not less than 50% of the estimated increase in the value of land and building, as prescribed by the government from time to time, for granting premium floor area ratio, not exceeding the limits specified in the zonal regulations of the master plan," the act states.</p>.<p>This is likely to put the BJP on the backfoot.</p>.<p>When the Congress-led government had introduced the Bill on premium FAR in both houses of the legislature earlier this year, BJP legislators strongly opposed the move, fearing that Bengaluru would be choked with high-rise buildings.</p>.<p>BJP leaders Basavaraj Bommai and C N Ashwath Narayan had called the Bill "dangerous."</p>.<p>A BBMP official said that the premium FAR cannot be used for the construction of additional floors on all roads. “The government will frame rules to allow high-rise buildings by operationalising the zoning regulations. The vertical growth will depend on the width of the adjoining road,” he said.</p>.<p>While the Congress-led government had fixed 40 per cent of the guidance value for allowing additional floors in the now-withdrawn premium FAR bill, the pricing set in the 2020 KTCP amendment could lead to ambiguity, as it specifies 50 per cent of the estimated increase in the value of land and building, which is difficult to determine.</p>