Urban Development ministry proposes higher FAR charges

NEW DELHI: To meet funding requirements for Metro projects, the Urban Development ministry has proposed to the states that Floor Area Ratio (FAR) be relaxed along Metro corridors and higher FAR charges should go in to funding projects.

"In respect of metro corridors or transport corridors, because these urban transport systems allow for higher mobility, people can move faster, therefore higher FAR can be permitted," Urban Development Secretary Sudhir Krishna said today.

"FAR is also dependent on water, drainage etc. that is also true but to the extent FAR is dependent on connectivity Metro can give that answer," Krishna said. "We are proposing to the states and Karnataka government has agreed and additional FAR charges would be supporting the funding of the Bangalore Metro," Krishna said.

While there was general taxation, funds could also be generated by the states specifically for the Metro, he said.

According to him, the Kochi metro project will be going before the Public Investment Board (PIB) by Monday. "The Finance ministry would review it at PIB. Before Monday we will send it to the PIB. Thereafter based on their recommendation At our end no decision has been taken," Krishna said.

Regarding the Kochi Metro he said that the project viability had been worked out. "It is not as highly viable as we want it to be but we are expecting that it would generate more economic activity to become viable,"he said.

Krishna also said that his ministry was taking steps to improve the feeder bus connectivity network for the Delhi Metro and a meeting had been held recently.