Karnataka Government Eases Realty Rules in Bengaluru

Recently, the Karnataka government has announced that the mandatory sanction that was earlier applicable to commercial development plans has now been scrapped for plots measuring up to 20,000 sq. m. The government has also announced the exemption of select common areas from the total FAR (floor area ratio) rules in not just commercial but residential high-rises as well, where FAR refers to the ratio of the built-up area and the size of the plot.

What This Means for Realty in Bengaluru

Before this announcement, the ceiling for this sanction was at 12,000 sq. m. which is nearly 3 acres. The sanction had to be obtained from the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), which among other things, was responsible for checking whether the layout of the development had earmarked spaces for various amenities. The previous process involved about 16 approvals from the BDA.

With the revision to the rules, developers are spared the hassles of having to liaise with multiple levels of bureaucracy to obtain the required permissions, in case the plot measures up to 20,000 sq. m. These projects will, however, still require approval from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Bengaluru is a commercial hub that attracts a multitude of real estate developers to cater to the many start-ups that thrive in the city. With this development, many commercial developers receive a reprieve as they no longer have to obtain a gamut of permissions for all their small projects.

More about the Relaxed Requirements

Among the other changes that have been announced, the setback area in the new residential and commercial properties may also include a watchman’s cubicle (not more than 4 sq. m. in area) at the entry and exit gates as well as a fire-control room (no more than 4 X 4 m. in area).

The norms for calculating the FAR for high-rises now exclude common areas like the electrical substation or panel rooms, AC plants, pump rooms, generators, solid waste management facilities, security or CCTV rooms, and control rooms. Some of the other areas that will not be included under the same include:

1. Building management or society rooms (max area 40 sq. m.)
2. Refuge provided in high-rises per the fire norms
3. Features that are unusable for living or other purposes by the residents
4. Staircase/ staircase rooms
5. Garbage shafts
6. Chimneys
7. Ventilation ducts
8. Other ducts
9. Public toilet blocks
10. Swimming pools and the toilets attached to the same for common use by residents
11. Parking areas, which include driveways and ramps
12. Lift wells and the lift machine room
13. Escalators
14. Overhead tanks
15. Sewage-treatment plan

These changes in regulations for realty in Bengaluru come as a welcome development for the smaller real estate projects that are in the pipeline for the city.