Babus’ Buildings Unauthorised!

[pilantherpagadi]

HYDERABAD: Fifteen years after nine building blocks were constructed for All India Service ([url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/IAS"]IAS[/url]) [url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/officers"]officers[/url] on Road No. 10, Banjara Hills, the roads and buildings (R& department has now approached the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) seeking building permission.

The corporation has flatly rejected the request saying it cannot give [url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/permission"]permission[/url] to existing structures. In simple words, it means the buildings are unauthorised structures.

Generally, building permission is given by municipal authorities prior to construction. However in this case, the R&B had applied for permission for existing nine buildings (G+3 Floors) in the residential complex in Banjara Hills. These blocks were constructed between 1996 and 1998. With a senior [url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/IPS-officer"]IPS officer[/url] filing a case over providing a lift at the IAS/IPS quarters, the R&B had no option but to seek permission from the corporation for the blocks.

The [url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/GHMC"]GHMC[/url] has recently turned down the R&B request for permission saying that the buildings and lifts were [url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/illegal"]illegal[/url] and attract section 636 of the GHMC Act. The corporation chief city planner, in his letter to the R&B department, said the [url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/mandatory-permission"]mandatory permission[/url] to buildings under section 428 of the GHMC were not obtained and there were violations in the existing building plans and lift provision. Under section 636 of the GHMC Act, the corporation can give a notice to the unauthorised buildings asking the owners or builders to remove such illegal buildings within 24 hours. If they fail to do so, the corporation can demolish them and expenses for demolition can be recovered from the owner or builder. Unlike private properties, the GHMC might not pull them down as they are government properties.

"After 2007, the existing buildings have been added on the rear side of residential blocks BH 2 & 3 and works undertaken to add a lift in the rear block of BH 6. These additions have been carried out without the required permission from the statutory authority," GHMC chief city planner GV Raghu said in his letter.

In the building permission application, the R&B has given drawings and plans of existing buildings and lifts, including newly-proposed lifts at Block 4. The town planning officers, who visited the site, noticed that the existing and proposed lifts were starting and stopping at mid-landings (between two floors) and the lift entrances were opening onto mid-landings of the staircase and not at floor levels. According to the National Building Code, a lift should not open onto a staircase, the chief city planner said.

With the GHMC rejecting building permission, the R&B officials are in a fix. The GHMC officials said the corporation cannot grant permission for existing buildings and the only option is regularisation of unauthorised structures. Also, regularisation of unauthorised buildings is applicable for private buildings, not those of government's and moreover the Building Regularisation Scheme (for receiving applications) was closed in July, 2008.

When contacted, R&B (Buildings) engineer-in-chief N Rama Rao said he was not aware of the GHMC's refusal to grant building permission as the file was not circulated to him due to the ongoing Sakala Janula Samme.

Generally, building permission is given by municipal authorities prior to construction. However in this case, the R&B had applied for permission for existing nine buildings (G+3 Floors) in Banjara Hills. These blocks were constructed between 1996 and 1998. With a senior IPS officer filing a case over providing a lift at the IAS/IPS quarters, the R&B had no option but to seek permission from GHMC for the blocks.

source: [url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Babus-buildings-unauthorised/articleshow/10434759.cms"]http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Babus-buildings-unauthorised/articleshow/10434759.cms[/url]

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