Chandigarh: Industrial bodies in Chandigarh have urged the UT administration to make proposed amendments to the Chandigarh Master Plan, including industrial bylaws and the land use policy, more business-friendly. Submitting their objections and suggestions to a screening committee during public hearings, the associations argued that the structural reforms must encourage industrial growth without imposing impractical conditions or excessive financial liabilities.A primary objection focused on the UT’s proposal to link enhanced floor area ratio (FAR)—the ratio of a building’s total floor area to the size of the land it is built on—to the carrying capacity of civic infrastructure. Industry leaders argued that upgrading civic amenities is the administration’s responsibility and should not be used as a ground to stall growth, especially given the heavy revenues collected via conversion charges and building levies over the years.To keep Chandigarh-based businesses competitive, stakeholders demanded that the financial charges for additional FAR be rationalised to match lower rates in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana. Trade leaders also fiercely opposed rules making demolition and reconstruction mandatory to claim higher FAR, demanding instead that vertical expansion be allowed on existing structures through a simplified official approval process.The industry bodies expressed hope that the administration would adopt a pragmatic approach while finalising the amendments. They stated that a balanced policy with higher FAR, reasonable charges, mixed land use, and simplified compliance would encourage investment, modernisation, employment generation, and industrial growth in Chandigarh.
