Many organisations, including the Indian Institute of Architects(IIA), are up in the arms against the government’s decision. They seek cancellation of the amendments. According to IIA officebearers, the amendments will affect the development of the state.

“The new rules envisage that almost 80 percent of the licences, for all categories of buildings, have to be issued by the chief town planner in Thiruvananthapuram.

This will result in long delays in the clearance of files. If the district town planner is made the authority to issue the licences, it would help reduce the delay in the process,” said IIA, Kerala chapter, chairman Lalichan Zacharia. As per a clause in the amended rule, a person who applies for construction licence should secure no objection certificate(NOC) from owners of the neighbouring properties on all sides of the plot before digging a well or building a septic tank.

“It will not be easy to secure NOCs from the neighbours. Sometimes, they might not be willing to give the permission in writing. This will lead to a standstill in the construction sector,” Lalichan said. If a plot of more than 50 cents is to be developed or sub-divided, there will have to be a seven-metre wide road to the plot. Given the fact that almost all the panchayat roads in the state are only up to six metres wide, developing or sub-dividing such plots will become impossible.

Another clause in the amended rule stipulates a fourfold increase in the parking space, with an additional parking lot for visitors.

Earlier, the government used to hold discussions with all the parties concerned while making such amendments.

Though the government had promised all the stakeholders a year ago that they would be invited for discussions no talks were held.