HindustanTimes 27.01.2010

Parking plan at Parade Ground hits roadblock

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) ambitious plan to construct multilevel parking lot at Parade Ground has hit a roadblock.

The proposed parking was supposed to provide a permanent solution to the parking woes in Walled City.

Shri Dharmik Ramlila Committee, who organises Ramlila at the grounds every year, has written a letter to the civic body protesting the move.

“We had received a letter from the Shri Dharmik Ramlila committee in which they have raised concerns over the parking. The committee feels that the parking will disrupt the Ramlila functions they hold at Parade Ground every year,” said Deep Mathur, director press and information, MCD.

“We are planning to hold a meeting with the committee members this week to sort out matter. Since the parking will be underground, it will not disrupt any kind of activity at the ground level,” he said.

“The Walled City is a commercial hub and the lack of any parking site here is a major problem. For years now, we have been given empty promises of a parking lot being constructed in the area, but nothing happened. And finally, when MCD has started groundwork for constructing the parking site at Parade Ground, the Ramlila Committee is opposing it,” said Sanjay Bhargava, general secretary of Chandni Chowk traders association.

MCD had zeroed in on Parade Ground after the underground multi-level parking lot they had to make at Shaheed Park hit a bump with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

ASI had refused to give permission, saying it was near two centrally-protected monuments Khooni Darwaaza and Ferozeshah Kotla ruins.

The Hindu 27.01.2010

GHMC to set in motion BPS

HYDERABAD: With Building Penalisation Scheme (BPS) applications clearance in a cul-de-sac, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is getting ready to break the logjam.

It has identified 46,000-odd applications that are complete in all respects save for payment of final penal fee payment for clearance. This is to be treated as a top priority from among the pending 1.32 lakh pending applications by February end, said Additional Commissioner (Planning & Projects) K. Dhanunjaya Reddy.

Entrusted the portfolio once again few days ago, Mr. Reddy has done a preliminary check on hindrances faced in clearing pending applications over which even elected representatives had voiced their concern in the council meeting held last week.

Mr. Reddy says each applicant would be once again “persuaded” to pay up to get their respective certificates. Of course, the flip side is revenues thus accrued would come as a much-needed relief to the financially beleaguered Municipal Corporation.

At the same time, a list of totally unauthorised buildings – commercial and residential from among the above category are being identified and ground is being prepared to begin demolitions to send a clear message. “We will deal with commercial buildings first and later focus on structures with illegal extra floors,” he said.

While officials claim civic polls, political events and “reluctance” of applicants was reason for the pendency, applicants charge notices were not received, “harassment” from lower staff and wrong calculation of final payments.

There are other 32,000-odd applications where proper documents like the revised plan copy or structural stability certificate are yet to be submitted.

Besides, 36,459 other applications from the total of more than two lakh BPS forms received are ineligible to be cleared due to various reasons.

Fire safety

Fire safety clearances for high rise buildings (above 18 metres height for residential and above 15 metres height for commercial) too have been poor with only 50-odd structures taking the final permission of the more than 2,000 applications including penthouses.

“We will have to discuss with the Fire Safety Department as certain issues have cropped up,” said Mr. Reddy. And these are not just about lot of money needed to purchase fire fighting equipment (Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 15 lakh) but also the setbacks clause.