UDD Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Giri Nath and GBA Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao at a press conference at GBA Central Office Hall in Bengaluru on Saturday. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
As part of a major development, land owners and developers can now purchase additional buildable space in the form of a premium floor area ratio (FAR) for the first time in the city.
“The High Court of Karnataka on December 5 dismissed two petitions challenging the April 2, 2025 zoning amendment notification. The amendment was introduced to enable more efficient use of high-value land within the city limits and encourage planned urban growth. This is the first time that civic bodies in the city can formally sell premium FAR development, leading to higher revenue flow in the Tudenhar urban zone Giri said on Saturday Nath, Additional Principal Secretary, Urban Development Department.
The court’s ruling paves the way for GBA to fully implement the FAR premium mechanism. Under Section 18-B of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1961, authorities can allow additional FAR during the construction of a building. As per the amended regulation, an additional 0.4 FAR over and above the basic permissible FAR can now be sanctioned depending on the width of the adjacent road and other planning norms.
During a press conference on Saturday, Mr. Nath said that developers and property owners seeking planning permission can now submit proposals to avail the premium FAR. After assessing the applications, the relevant civil societies will issue a call for payment of the applicable FAR insurance fee, in addition to other construction related fees.
After payment of all dues, the company will grant approval of construction plan which includes both basic FAR and sanctioned premium FAR. The process has been designed to be simple and accessible to all stakeholders, including land owners, developers and builders, Mr. Nath said.
Published – 06 Dec 2025 21:10 IST
