Mumbai, May 22 (IANS): Thousands of families living in old and dilapidated buildings awaiting redevelopment in Mumbai were given a bonanza by the state government Saturday - more space post-redevelopment.

The government has amended the development control rules to enable the tenants get a minimum 300 square feet and maximum 753.50 square feet carpet area flats post-redevelopment, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said here.

The new rules would be applicable to old residential cessed buildings having an occupation certificate. However, non-residential tenants or commercial tenants would be given the same old area after redevelopment or reconstruction.

The move would directly benefit over 16,000 families, a majority of them Maharashtrians, including mill-workers, who live in dangerously dilapidated old structures, mostly in southern parts of Mumbai.

Chavan said that for the redevelopment or reconstruction of old cessed buildings, the state had approved a floor space index (FSI) of 3.

However, for those buildings where incentives are given for redevelopment, if that FSI is higher than 3, the higher FSI would be applicable.

Besides, the redeveloped buildings would be entitled to get a suitable corpus fund to take care of maintenance and repairs for ten years.

For non-cessed buildings constructed prior to Sep 30, 1969, standing in the same plots as the old cessed buildings, if their area is within 25 percent of the plot, then the new rules would be applicable to them.

Similarly, those old buildings which have already started the work of reconstruction or redevelopment and have constructed upto plinth level, can avail of the benefits under the new rules.

The move would hit the builders' lobby hard as until now, occupants of old buildings which were redeveloped were given only tiny flats measuring 160 to 225 square feet.

The rules have also taken adequate precautions to make the new buildings under redevelopment or reconstruction safe in all aspects.