Will not undertake further construction till MoEF clears FSI, hotel tells HC

ELEL Hotels and Investments, holding company of Hotel Sea Rock in Bandra, Monday told the Bombay High Court that it will not undertake any construction on the hotel until their proposal for 5.5 FSI is decided by the Union ministry for environment and forests (MoEF).

A division bench of HC has also directed that the construction should not start until four weeks from the date of the clearance by the ministry.

High Court was hearing a petition filed by Delhi-based lawyer and activist Sonia Raj Sood, who alleges that the redevelopment work at the hotel is being carried out in violation of environmental and development control regulations.

Questioning the approval of additional increase in FSI from 2.5 to 5.5, Sood claims that after Vilasrao Deshmukh had increased FSI from 1 to 2.5, two former chief ministers used their discretionary powers to grant additional FSI.

She has challenged the increase in FSI approved by Deshmukh's successor Ashok Chavan.

During the hearing, Sood argued that the company should not construct as soon as it gets MoEF clearance, as the petition would no longer be relevant.

In her petition, she has claimed two separate development control regulations (DCRs) were used for the same project, which is not permissible.

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