BMC To Rework Sealing Action As Bhopal Master Plan Draft Opens One-Year Regularisation Window

Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to revise its strategy for sealing non-residential establishments located in residential areas, in light of the draft Bhopal Development Plan 2047 and the Supreme Court's directives. The draft outlines a limited framework for legitimising existing non-residential activities, provided owners pay the required fees and follow the planning, parking, and infrastructure guidelines.

The owners will have a one-year window to complete the regularisation process after the final development plan is announced.

However, the draft does not automatically legitimise unauthorized construction or land use changes. Eligible premises must have had non-residential use prior to the draft's publication, property tax should have been paid at non-residential rates, and electricity connections must have been obtained for non-residential purposes. The provisions do not apply to newly developed residential areas, unauthorised colonies, illegally constructed buildings, properties with encroached front open spaces or parking, green areas, water bodies, forest areas, proposed road alignments, and specific industrial activities.

The draft ties the type of non-residential activity that can operate in a residential area to the width of the road. Roads narrower than 12 metres typically allow residential and professional activities on one floor, while wider roads permit commercial activities like banks, medical stores, restaurants, and showrooms. Non-residential use is generally limited to 50% of the maximum permissible Floor Area Ratio (FAR), with limited exceptions for low-intensity professional activities.

BMC Deputy Commissioner Bhuvan Gupta announced that the corporation will develop a new action plan based on the draft's provisions while adhering to the Supreme Court's orders.