New DP a ploy to sell Mumbai off to builders: Congress

India stands at the 136th position on the list, with Syria being the most violent country in the world at 163rd place. (Image: REUTERS)

Opposition Congress today slammed the Mumbai Development Plan (DP) 2034, saying it was aimed at selling off the city to builders ahead of the 2019 elections.

The NCP charged that the DP was announced to divert the attention from the ongoing stand-off between the ruling BJP and the Shiv Sena over the proposed Nanar mega refinery project in Ratnagiri district.

Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesman Sachin Sawant said the previous DP prepared by the then civic chief Sitaram Kunte had been scrapped following a controversy over the increased floor space index (FSI).

"But now,"the FSI in the island city is three and in the suburbs it is 2.5," he said.

In the new DP, FSI for residential properties in the island city has been raised up to three, while in the suburbs, the new FSI will be up to 2.5 and 5 for residential and commercial properties respectively.

Pointing out that the state government made 2,371 changes in the new DP, Sawant asked, "Is the BMC machinery so inefficient?"

"The DP announced yesterday is a ploy to sell off Mumbai to builders ahead of the elections. It has no soul. Mumbaikars have been fooled," he alleged.

State NCP chief Sunil Tatkare said he was a minister for 15 years in the past, but had never seen bureaucrats taking press conference before a notification is issued.

Maharashtra Urban Development department Principal Secretary Nitin Kareer, while unveiling the DP document here yesterday, announced a notification would be issued in the next 10 days and the new DP would be implemented a month after the notification is published.

Tatkare said, "The DP is not yet in the public domain...The DP issue has been brought up to deflect the attention from the Nanar controversy.