Fearing that extra FSI in the overcrowded gaothan will put load on infrastructure, Shaina met Raul on Tuesday asking her to reconsider the request and not allow construction of highrises in the area. Raul, however, said that 4 FSI would be for individual development of houses and not for cluster redevelopment.

“Giving 4 FSI means congesting the gaothan more,” Shaina said. She claimed that illegal highrises come up in the guise of repair of old houses. Shaina even filed a petition in the Bombay High Court a year-and-a-half ago against illegal construction in gaothan.

When contacted, Raul said that the demand for 4 FSI had been sought for individual houses. “There are old houses with a large number of families who require to modify their structures. An FSI of 4 is necessary in such cases,” she said.

Raul said it was an only a request and the state government had not approved it. “We are still to meet the chief minister and talk about 4 FSI. It’s just a demand raised by us and needs sanction from the state government,” Raul said.