Pune Cantonment residents oppose graded FSI in draft bylaws

Four proposed FSI slabs draw objections

The draft proposes FSI limits of 1.25, 1.5, 1.75 and 2 according to plot size, rather than the uniform FSI of 2 sought by residents. A senior Directorate General of Defence Estates official said larger plots would receive lower FSI to control vertical growth in Camp.

Residents, activists and former Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) members have objected to the graded approach. They have also called for clear public criteria showing how plots would be assigned to each FSI category.

Residents cite redevelopment concerns

The rules apply to Pune Cantonment’s civilian pockets, including Camp. Residents and activists say restrictions have largely limited owners to minor repairs and prevented home expansion. They warn that different plot-specific limits could leave some owners with less scope to reconstruct or redevelop ageing houses than their neighbours.

Activist Rajabhau Chavan said hundreds of old properties urgently needed redevelopment and that uncertainty over FSI, along with tenant-related legal disputes, had held owners back. He argued that higher FSI could help some owners settle such disputes and proceed with redevelopment; this is his stated view, not an outcome established by the draft.

Vinod Mathurawala, a former PCB vice-president, said FSI was a core cantonment issue and should be public-friendly. Sachin Mathurawala, a nominated PCB member, said he would submit objections and suggestions, citing a lack of clarity.

Draft remains open to public input

The Gazette notice invites written observations and suggestions to the PCB within 30 days from the date copies of the Gazette are made available to the public. The draft is to be considered after that period and will take effect only after final publication in the Official Gazette.

PCB chief executive officer Vidyadhar Pawar said the board had issued a public notice inviting suggestions and objections, and that the concerned authorities would consider residents’ views before finalising the bylaws. As of October 19, 2026, the proposed FSI limits do not establish a final entitlement for property owners.

How the draft differs from the earlier proposal

In April 2025, the PCB was reported to have proposed raising FSI from 1 to 2 in civilian areas. That proposal covered about 250 acres and around 2,500 properties across six cantonment wards, and was still awaiting a final decision at the time. The October 2026 draft instead sets out four FSI slabs.

The PCB began framing new building bylaws for civilian and bungalow areas in March 2025 following DGDE directives. The draft, issued under Section 251 of the Cantonments Act, 2006, proposes to supersede the notification dated April 18, 1988, subject to final publication.