There is a need to review the FSI (Floor Space Index) policy and make appropriate changes to boost affordable housing in mega cities like Mumbai, according to Ajay Maken, Union Minister for Housing and Poverty Alleviation.
“The state is the responsible authority to do so, and, in our opinion, it should consider this option,” Mr. Maken said, while addressing an international conference on ‘Governance of Megacity Regions in India,’ organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here on Monday. At the central level, the policy for providing ‘infrastructure status’ to affordable housing schemes was on the cards to improve the urban housing scenario, the minister said, adding, “this can be treated as a sub sector of real estate and at least this sub sector can be given infrastructure status.”
“About 50 per cent of the population in Mumbai stays in slums. In cities like Delhi also, about 84 per cent of homeless people are self-employed. Since they are an integral part of India’s urbanisation story, irrespective of location categories, we need to create affordable housing even in the premium locations of mega cities. It is required to bring these service providers nearer to service consumers,” Mr. Maken said.
Adi Godrej, President, CII, said that with increased urbanisation, “India would need $800 billion in the coming years towards urban development, and out of this, $350 billion would go towards building roads.”
According to K.C. Sivaramakrishnan, Chairman, Centre for Policy Research, “megacities contribute 14-36 per cent of GDP of their respective states and the urban centres have also become critical in deciding the political leadership at the state and central levels.”
