Realty News Roundup: CREDAI Bats For Higher FSI; Centre Does Not Have List Of Proposed Smart Cities

​The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) asked the central government to increase the Floor Space Index (FSI) limit up to 4 and simplify the building plan approval process for projects in India to facilitate the Centre's plan to provide affordable homes for all Indian families by 2022. The CREDAI also said that it has a fund of Rs 25 crore for students from economically weaker sections as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plan.

Here are the other real estate related news stories of May 26, 2015:

The Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC)  requested an extension for completion of affordable residential projects till March 2015. DMC could build only in two housing projects among its six projects under the Centre's Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme for rehabilitating urban poor in the city. Three projects were cancelled because land could not be acquired in them. .The two projects in which affordable flats have been built are lying empty because the intended beneficiaries are not happy with the flats allotted to them.

The urban development ministry found many cases in which retired government officials are squatting in bungalows many years after retirement. The urban development ministry is responsible for evicting former ministers and Members of Parliament that overstay in the Lutyens' Bungalow Zone. The ministry has found widespread illegality and ad hocism in allotment of government accommodation. The ministry also plans to punish ministry officers who do not take action against former MPs and retired bureaucrats who squat in these bungalows.

Twelve Indian states are expected to launch online platforms for green clearances by next month to make sure that projects in India are approved quickly and transparently, according to a report by The Economic Times. Currently, category 'A' projects are given environment, forest and coastal regulation zones (CRZ) clearances through an online process for industry, thermal power, infrastructure, river valley and mining processes across the country.

According to an RTI reply, signed by M K Garg, director, Smart City division, the government does not have a list of the 100 proposed smart cities across India. But, in April 2015, the Union cabinet had cleared Smart City projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore for developing 100 smart cities across India. The government does not have details on the allocations made to the project either.