SC orders Karnataka not to use Premium FAR to regularise illegal constructions

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the Karnataka government not to use the Premium Floor Area Ratio (FAR) scheme to regularise illegal constructions. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant issued notice on a plea by the Citizens Action Forum challenging the Karnataka High Court's June judgment upholding the scheme. The court expressed deep skepticism about the state's plans, contrasting Bengaluru's infrastructure with Greater Noida's planned development.

Senior Advocate Aditya Sondhi argued that road width had become the sole criterion for granting Premium FAR, overburdening Bengaluru's fragile civic infrastructure. He said the scheme resembled the controversial Akrama-Sakrama scheme used to regularise unauthorised buildings. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta refuted this, saying Akrama-Sakrama regularisation is separate and the Premium FAR scheme is capped at 0.6 of original FAR, with revenue going into a dedicated infrastructure fund.

The CJI noted no visible improvement in basic infrastructure despite additional construction. He warned that without adding roads, sewer lines and flyovers, the system would collapse under natural calamities. Justice Bagchi acknowledged Bengaluru's "traffic nightmare." The court gave Karnataka authorities four weeks to file their response.