India, June 22 -- The Maharashtra government has decided to open up plots reserved for slaughter houses in all municipal corporations of the state and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), except in Mumbai. It has offered private owners the option to use the land for a purpose of their choice if they build a slaughter house on part of the land. The owner will get to use the permissible floor space index (FSI) and transferable development rights (TDR) on the plot.

These changes have been proposed by the state urban development department in the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR). The department has issued a notice seeking suggestions and objections from the public in the next 30 days.

If the plan goes through, ...