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Old Delhi: MCD goes slow on list of dangerous buildings

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 10:46 administrator
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Indian Express             30.11.2010

Old Delhi: MCD goes slow on list of dangerous buildings

Hamari Jamatia Tags : building collapsed Posted: Tue Nov 30 2010, 05:35 hrs

New Delhi:  While the building that collapsed at Lalita Park was never on its list of dangerous buildings, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) seems to have done little for buildings that do figure prominently in it. While the civic body awaits the probe report on the collapsed building, sources point out that though 42 buildings across Old Delhi were declared dangerous in 2008, little has been done in that regard.

While five of these structures have been brought down so far, one has been partly demolished. Sources said the Walled City and its surrounding areas are brimming with ‘dangerous’ buildings that are more than a 100 years old and. The MCD is also supposed to conduct a survey of dangerous buildings in these areas every year, but has not done so in the last two years due to staff shortage.

MCD officials claim that at present, the number of dangerous buildings in Old Delhi must have risen to 70. Buildings that are more than 100 years old need to be demolished immediately, they said, adding that most of them are located in areas like Ballimaran, Seeta Ram Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Shah Ganj, Bharat Nagar, Darbia Paan, Chuna Mandi and Paharganj.

On Thursday, MCD Commissioner K S Mehra admitted to the problem. “We have done a survey report and are currently checking the structures,” he said. The MCD has received 9,568 complaints about unauthorised constructions since October 2008; action has been taken on around 5,000, he added.

The City Zone of the civic agency, which covers areas such as Chandni Chowk, Ballimaran and Seeta Ram Bazaar, has the highest number of dangerous buildings. “According to our estimates, there are approximately 200 structures that need to be repaired before the monsoon,” said a senior MCD official. City Zone Ward Committee Chairperson Renuka Gupta said she had requested the MCD several times to issue notices to such buildings, but to no response. Now, along with other councillors, she would pass a resolution, asking for a new survey to be conducted in the area.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 2010 10:48
 

BDA officer caught accepting bribe

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 09:32 administrator
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The New Indian Express  30.11.2010

BDA officer caught accepting bribe

BHUBANESWAR: A section officer of Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) was caught red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe of ` 5,000 from a person on Monday. Tarini Prasad Das had sought the bribe to process an application of one Biswanath Sahu.

Sahu, who had purchased a flat from one Padmaja Patnaik, wanted ownership of the house changed to his name. The flat was part of a BDA scheme and the ownership change needed clearance from the allotment department of the development authority. Once Sahu’s application came to allotment wing, Das insisted on ` 5,000 following which the matter was brought to the notice of Vigilance. A trap was laid on Monday and Das walked right into it. As Sahu handed over the cash to the officer, the sleuths held him.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 2010 09:33
 

BDA effort still on to get denotification cancelled

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 05:39 administrator
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The Deccan Chronicle  30.11.2010

BDA effort still on to get denotification cancelled

Nov. 29: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) continues to write to the state government to cancel the de-notification of 7 acres 20 guntas in the extension of Banashankari 6th Stage Layout, where 40 sites were created and distributed to individuals.

In its latest letter dated June 10, 2010, the BDA has almost pleaded with the government to cancel the de-notification, so that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) can delete the observation it has made in its report in 2007-08, showing Rs 2.95 crore as the losses incurred by BDA for letting the land in question be de-notified.

On June 29, 2007, when JD (S) state president H.D. Kumaraswamy was chief minister, this piece of land which was acquired and notified by BDA, was denotified and allotted to T.R. Srinath and T.R. Umanath, sons of T.N. Ramamurthy. “BDA shall fix the boundary for the specified area withdrawn from acquisition,” says the gazette notification dated June 29, 2007. This came a day after BDA issued a 16 (2) notification!

The correspondence for de-notification of this land, between the government and BDA began in April 20, 2006, when the government wrote to BDA stating that the land has to be de-notified and given to T.R. Srinath and T.R. Umanath.

The BDA wrote back to the government on June 12, 2006, stating that the Authority had taken possession of the land on January 9, 2004. “Out of Rs 8.39 crore, Rs 1.96 crore has already been given as compensation to the landowners. The rest of the compensation - Rs 6.42 crore— has been remitted to the city civil court, as per the Land Acquisition Act, section 30, 31 (2). As per the report of surveyors and engineers, BDA chose to reject the proposal for de-notification of the land in question, as a layout has been formed and 50x80 sites have been created. The land is much needed,” wrote the deputy commissioner, land acquisition.

On June 28, 2007, BDA issued a 16 (2) notification indicating that 7 acres and 20 guntas in villages coming under Kengeri hobli in Bengaluru South are in its possession.

However, the very next day, the government issued a gazette notification stating that the land has to be de-notified. The final gazette to this order was published on July 19, 2007.

Following this, on November 22, 2007, BDA wrote to the government saying that the land has been notified under section 16 (2), sites have been allotted and the land belonged to BDA.

It proposed that the application to de-notify land in question be rejected, and asked the government to cancel the order. The file is yet to be cleared by the government.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 2010 05:41
 
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