NAGPUR, Dec. 12 -- To pave the way for the redevelopment of cessed buildings governed by the pagdi system in the island city, the Maharashtra government has announced initiatives such as additional floor space index (FSI) to the owner or developer to make the projects economically feasible and enable tenants to get houses in the redeveloped buildings. Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, who claimed the move was an attempt to make Mumbai pagdi-free, said it would pave the way for the redevelopment of 13,000 of the total 19,000 such buildings, mostly in the island city, which has been in limbo for want of financial feasibility. Shinde said the buildings would be given FSI equal to the area occupied by tenants while the owners would receive the original base FSI on the land owned by them. "This will help the developers and property owners get additional FSI for the redevelopment," he said. Shinde also announced incentive FSI for the free construction of the rehabilitation component. "In case of issues with the FSI because of things like height restrictions and various regulations, the FSI could be given in the form of TDR (transfer of development rights)," he said. "This will help in making the projects financially viable. It will help us make Mumbai pagdi-free." The buildings that have not availed of FSI under 33(7) and 33(9) of the development control rules will be eligible for the incentives. Shinde said the government would set up fast-track courts to ensure that 28,000 litigation cases between tenants and property owners were disposed of to facilitate the redevelopment. The government has also announced an amendment to the Development Control and Promotion Regulations 2034 to pave the way for the redevelopment of chawls on mill lands in Mumbai. The amendment will give residents the right to rehabilitation and more incentives to the developers of the chawls....