The Indian Express              30.08.2013 

BMC nod to rooftop restaurants in city

However, the civic body will charge them a premium of one percent of the ready reckoner rate.

"Any hotelier can apply for licences with the BMC now," said Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner.

BMC will also give permission to rooftop eateries in the non-coastal areas of the city and to those outlets which have kitchen space allotted in the floor below.

In November 2012, BMC had started framing a policy for giving official licences to rooftop restaurant owners and recover a licence fee for the same, making use of the city's coastal view to boost the hospitality industry.

According to the policy, restaurateurs can get approval for rooftop outlets if the eatery has a 300-sq-ft constructed structure with the rest of the terrace being used for seating.

Also the terrace has to be a part of the building's computed floor space index.

Restaurateurs fulfilling these conditions and in possession of extra FSI can apply for licences to operate rooftop eateries.

Mhaiskar had earlier said that the restaurants in the suburbs can purchase transfer of development rights if they don't have additional FSI. The option, however, will not apply to the island city.

Besides these stipulations, BMC had also necessitated permission from the neighbouring housing societies for running the rooftop business.

Prior to BMC introducing the process for allowing formal licenses for rooftop eateries, in 2012 there were more than 500 such restaurants operating across Mumbai, according to a member of the National Restaurateurs' Association of India.