The Times of India              27.05.2013

RMC worried over poor response to impact fee

RAJKOT: Concerned over lukewarm response to the new impact fee norms, the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) is planning to carry out a campaign to create awareness about regularizing unauthorized buildings in the city.

RMC is also planning to hold a meeting with Consulting Engineers for the same.

The state government has passed impact fee law-Gujarat Regularization of Unauthorized Development Act-in September 2011 after noting the objections from Gujarat governor Dr Kamala. However, only 2,400 buildings have been regularized under the act so far. RMC has issued notices to over 30,000 unauthorized buildings out of which 8,900 applications were filed for regularization under the act.

According to sources, there are over 40,000 unauthorized buildings in city which fall under this law.

RMC has collected Rs 8.90 crore from authorizing such buildings and expects to earn around Rs 25 crore from the regularizing unauthorized structures.

"We will hold meeting with Consulting Engineers and try to know their problems, how to overcome them and how to encourage people to come forward to regularize their buildings before the August 19 deadline," said town planning officer, B H Rupani, RMC.

"Occupants and owners might face stricter action and RMC might cut off their drainage, water connections if they fail to apply for regularization by August 19,'' he said.

"The main reason why people are not coming forward to regularize is that all are getting the basic civic amenities even in their unauthorized structures. They have no incentive to spend their money just for regularization,'' said a senior RMC official.

In fact, few months ago, city BJP unit also started special impact fee cell to encourage people to regularize their buildings under the act.