The Hindu      30.12.2010

Palakkad municipality calls halt to indoor stadium work

Hurdles:A view of the Indoor Stadium Complex in Palakkad.

PALAKKAD: The Palakkad Municipality has directed the Palakkad Indoor Stadium Complex Society (PISC) to stop work on the indoor stadium and sports complex as it had not obtained permission for the same from the municipality and the Chief Town Planner (CTP).

The stop memo was served by the secretary of the municipality on Monday. The work on the project started in January this year at an estimated cost of Rs. 12.5 crore.

A meeting of the municipal council last Thursday decided to issue stop memo as the stadium authorities did not obtain statutory permission for constructing the complex.

Secretary of the Municipality K.M. Basheer said the complex authorities gave an application to the municipality that was sent to the District Town Planner for his report. As it was a place of public convergence, he had sent it to the CTP in Thiruvananthapuram for necessary approval.

“Since it is a multi-storey project, the layout has to be approved by the CTP. But the complex authorities started the work in January this year without getting any approval from the municipality, District Town Planner and the Chief Town Planner,” the Secretary said.

The construction without any sanction from the statutory authorities was reported by the municipality to the government and the CTP, Mr. Basheer said.

He said the complex authorities replied that they did not require permission from the municipality or the CTP as it was for public purpose by a semi-government institution.

The Secretary said the Kerala Municipal Act stated that irrespective of the ownership, sanction had to be sought from the municipality for any construction in the areas under its jurisdiction. He said even the government had no power to exempt any building from the Building rules of the municipality.

“Under the Municipal Act section 406, it has power to stop the construction of any unauthorised building, including its demolition and alteration. If its stop memo is not complied with, other legal remedies including the use of police force is available under the Municipal Act,” Mr. Basheer said. He said the municipality cannot allow any construction by anybody without getting sanction from it under its building rules. The stadium construction, almost halfway through, violated most of the safety measures.

He said the PISC had not sought safety clearance from the Central authorities in Delhi for the stadium, which was mandatory as it could seat more than 1000 people. The stadium authorities also did not produce the sanction certificate from the Fire and Rescue Services Department and the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, the secretary said.

The Pioneer       27.12.2010

MCD blames Govt for pending development works in city
December 27, 2010   3:24:09 PM

PNS | Dehradun

Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) has not been able to achieve noticeable success in execution of various development works in 2010 due to the continued apathy of the State Government towards the MCD.

Though MCD is the sole civic body in Uttarakhand, its organisational structure and resources have remained more or less the same from the period more than a decade ago when it was yet to receive the corporation status.

But, Dehradun Mayor Vinod Chamoli and the MCD Board have approved various important decisions, these have not yet been executed as the State Government has kept its approval pending.

During 2010, the differences between the State Government and MCD were brought to the fore on various issues including the building tax policy, advertisement hoarding policy and anti-encroachment campaign.

Whereas, the MCD Board approved new policies for building tax calculation and advertisement hoardings, both of these have been withheld by the State Government after some influential leaders opposed these.

Both the building tax and advertisement hoarding policies are aimed at facilitating public benefit and development of the city, the State Government has kept these on the back burner for now.

MCD also undertook anti-encroachment campaigns in important commercial and residential areas but due to protest of politicians backing the business fraternity, the encroachment in most commercial areas including the Paltan Bazaar near the Clock Tower has remained as it is.

Even, Mayor Vinod Chamoli acknowledges that the apathy of the State Government has made the MCD handicapped due to which many important works in public interest are pending.

MCD leader of Opposition Ashok Verma said that important decisions taken by the MCD Board have not yet been executed which is due to the failure of the State Government to facilitate efficient functioning of the corporation.