The Hindu               27.12.2013

Demolition of building resumes

Following the disposal of writ petitions by the Madras
High Court, officials from the Local Planning Authority (LPA) with
assistance from the Corporation and police resumed the demolition of the
second and third floors of Vigneshwar Cresta building on Avanashi Road.
A fire that broke out in the building on April 25 this year claimed
four lives and left many injured.

Officials from LPA
had served a notice on the building owner in April for violations and
began demolishing the building. It was stopped after the owner obtained a
stay from the Madras High Court.

The court on
November 19 had disposed off the writ petitions stating that it would
not interfere with regard to the second and third floors which were not
in consonance with the approved building plan.

It
directed the Member Secretary of LPA to consider a fresh appeal, if any,
filed by the building owner in respect of ground and first floor, by
merit and in accordance with the law.

Consequently,
the building owner had filed an appeal before the Member Secretary on
December 10 seeking regularisation of the building, sources said.

While
the appeal regarding the ground and first floor is under consideration,
District Collector Archana Patnaik, who is also the Chairperson of the
LPA, on December 24 ordered the demolition of the second and third
floors.

The order was sent to the building owner by post.

The
decision came in the wake of the Fire and Rescue Services Department
denying No Objection Certificate to the building for failure to comply
with 10 conditions, and the Public Works Department in its stability
certificate declaring that the structure was not fit for occupation.

The
Coimbatore Corporation had also turned down the application from the
petitioner seeking regularisation of the building, under the provisions
of the Government Order No 234 and 235. The LPA in its reply stated that
the approved building plan of December 22, 1999, was for industrial use
but the same had now been turned into a commercial building.

The
demolition began on Thursday amid tight police security under the
supervision of Member Secretary of LPA S. Chandrasekharan. It is
expected to be completed in a day or two.