Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 23: Citizens' Forum Jammu demanded that old constructions in Jammu and Srinagar cities should be kept out of purview of floor area ratio (FAR) of the new master plans of the two cities.
A press statement issued by the President of the forum, R.K.Chadha said that the Floor Area Ratio allows only 40% construction of the total area, which if applied to 2-3 marla houses, it hardly leaves enough residential space which may lead to hardships to the economically marginal families. In view of the growing members of the families and demand for accommodation, these economically marginal class families would not be able to meet the demand, the Citizens' Forum added .Those who prepared master plan have totally forgotten that the old cities do not have any open space left for new constructions.
The application of Master plan with its new founded rules is applicable both to open big lands and congested old cities, the statement added. Old cities all over the world are considered as heritage sites and preserved as such. The new master plans are not applied in these cases. Chandini Chowk in Delhi, areas around Darbar Sahib in Amritsar, Chowra Bazar in Ludhiana, and old cities in other States do not attract FAR. The forum appealed the Chief Minister to have a satellite map view of both old cities and can see that there is no open space left to be built under proposed FAR rules. |
