In addition, the revised CDP proposes vertical growth by offering higher FAR (floor area ratio) for constructions in the central business area, to accommodate increasing population.

This will definitely help those who have already constructed buildings with higher FAR than was allowed in the building bye-law.

Big players
However, mega-builders feel that the modification would help those who built individual houses rather than benefit big players. D V Raghu, managing partner of Sri Chowdeshwari Builders and Developers, said that many residential, commercial and industrial establishments have come up in the erstwhile green-belt area, and owners of such buildings  will benefit.

However big players will not benefit much. In the previous CDP, the area covered by balconies and staircases was not taken into consideration to calculate FAR. Whereas the new one takes balcony and staircase area into account.

Higher fee
This will certainly make the mega builders pay a higher fee for regularisation, he said.

The Citizen Action Forum has taken serious exception to revising Sakrama as per the CDP 2015. Forum president N S Mukunda said the revised CDP comprises of a strange feature which allows mixed land-use.

It allows commercial establishments in residential area.

The State Government is planning to regularise such developments, and this is highly deplorable, he said.

However, the people seem pleased that the revised CDP is being made applicable for Sakrama. Chandrashekhar, a resident of Malleswaram, welcomed the State Government’s decision.

“In the earlier notification, the State Government was levying penalty as per guidance value of 2005, though it was following the 1995 CDP to assess violation. It is good news for thousands of people who violated building bye-laws for their necessities,” he said.

Not clear
It is still not clear that how the State Government will take action against those buildings which have violated the bye-law beyond the allowed limit. 

 “Will the government demolish the house which has been constructed with more than 50 per cent deviation. We were expecting necessary directions from the State Government in this regard. But we are disappointed”, said Raghu, a builder.

Mukunda criticised the government for being silent on buildings with violation more than the allowed limit.

NEW TIME TABLE
The last date to file applications for Sakrama is all set to be extended further. The State Government is expected to issue a draft notification bringing in changes in the Sakrama rule in two days. As per the rules, the draft notification should be announced in the state gazette and 30 days allowed for the public to respond.
A senior BBMP officer said the deadline of March 31 does not hold good after the scheme is revised; the State Government has to come up with fresh time-table for accepting applications and scrutinising them.