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Demolition of building resumes

Friday, 27 December 2013 04:24 administrator
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The Hindu               27.12.2013

Demolition of building resumes

The Coimbatore Corporation and Local Planning Authority began demolishing the two unauthorised floors of Vigneshwar Cresta on Avanashi Road on Thursday.— Photo: K. Ananthan
The Coimbatore Corporation and Local Planning Authority began demolishing the two unauthorised floors of Vigneshwar Cresta on Avanashi Road on Thursday.— Photo: K. Ananthan

Following the disposal of writ petitions by the Madras High Court, officials from the Local Planning Authority (LPA) with assistance from the Corporation and police resumed the demolition of the second and third floors of Vigneshwar Cresta building on Avanashi Road. A fire that broke out in the building on April 25 this year claimed four lives and left many injured.

Officials from LPA had served a notice on the building owner in April for violations and began demolishing the building. It was stopped after the owner obtained a stay from the Madras High Court.

The court on November 19 had disposed off the writ petitions stating that it would not interfere with regard to the second and third floors which were not in consonance with the approved building plan.

It directed the Member Secretary of LPA to consider a fresh appeal, if any, filed by the building owner in respect of ground and first floor, by merit and in accordance with the law.

Consequently, the building owner had filed an appeal before the Member Secretary on December 10 seeking regularisation of the building, sources said.

While the appeal regarding the ground and first floor is under consideration, District Collector Archana Patnaik, who is also the Chairperson of the LPA, on December 24 ordered the demolition of the second and third floors.

The order was sent to the building owner by post.

The decision came in the wake of the Fire and Rescue Services Department denying No Objection Certificate to the building for failure to comply with 10 conditions, and the Public Works Department in its stability certificate declaring that the structure was not fit for occupation.

The Coimbatore Corporation had also turned down the application from the petitioner seeking regularisation of the building, under the provisions of the Government Order No 234 and 235. The LPA in its reply stated that the approved building plan of December 22, 1999, was for industrial use but the same had now been turned into a commercial building.

The demolition began on Thursday amid tight police security under the supervision of Member Secretary of LPA S. Chandrasekharan. It is expected to be completed in a day or two.

 

Civic body clears K K Nagar Anna road encroachments

Thursday, 26 December 2013 07:12 administrator
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Deccan Chronicle              26.12.2013

Civic body clears K K Nagar Anna road encroachments

Chennai: K.K. Nagar which has been suffering from encroachments got a little respite as the Chennai corporation cleared on Tuesday, encroachments eating up the roadsides of the Anna main road for years.

Groups of contractors who sold raw materials for buildings like sand, bricks and blue metal for around 30 years were finally evicted from the place, which is expected to be converted into a service road.

“Around 26 contractors were occupying the roadsides before  metro water office at Nessapakkam. They occupied nearly 300 meters of the road,” said a police officer.

“The eviction drive  started in the morning and all the labourers and contractors were sent out,” he added. While  contractors have been moved out, labourers will suffer as they have no other place to live in.

“I have been living here and working for around 30 years. Where will I go now?” asks Kannamal (name changed), a labourer.

The cleared roads which are now wide, will soon have service lanes to ease traffic. “A service road is expected to be laid in addition to the existing two lanes. The new lane will connect to the Eri Karai road which usually gets choked with traffic every morning,” said a field official.

“Similar drives will continue on Anna main road, Munuswamy Salai, Raja Mannar Salai and Alagiri Salai where new pavements are proposed to be laid,” said ward 137 councillor C. Subramani.

“The encroachments removed on Tuesday followed several complaints from local residents and the roadside will be fenced to prevent the encroachers from reappearing,” he added.

 

Collector directs officials to demolish two floors of building

Tuesday, 24 December 2013 05:00 administrator
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The Hindu              24.12.2013

Collector directs officials to demolish two floors of building

V.S. Palaniappan

District Collector Archana Patnaik has directed officials of the Coimbatore Local Planning Authority (LPA) to demolish second and third floors of Vigneshwar Cresta, a commercial building on Avanashi Road where a fire on April 25 this year killed four women.

The decision was taken following an order by the Madras High Court, while disposing of two writ petitions and one revision petition by the building owner challenging the notice and actions of the LPA. After the fire, the district administration began demolition of the building, especially the second and third floors that were constructed without building plan approval. The demolition was suspended after the building owner moved the court.

While the court said in its order that it would not interfere in the demolition of the second and third floor that were constructed without permission, it, however, gave the petitioner two weeks time to file an appeal with the second respondent (Member Secretary of Coimbatore Local Planning Authority) with regard to the ground and first floor “which have been put up in consonance with the building plan”.

The petitioner had contended that the orders of the administration dated May 23, 2013 for demolishing the building was against the principles of natural justice as the order was passed even before the expiry of the notice period i.e., May 24, 2013, without giving the petitioner a chance to present his case.

Classified

And, the respondent clarified that the building was classified as an industrial building and the promoter had converted it into a commercial building, there was no fire safety provision and the second and third floors were constructed without permission. Further, damages because of the fire had put the stability of the building in question. The respondent prayed that the court shall not exercise its discretion in favour of the petitioner under Article 226 of the Constitution.

However, the Judge said that the question for consideration was regarding the ground and first floors in consonance with the building plan. The court said that the impugned order is set aside in part.

With regard to other buildings that were sealed following the fire at Vigneshwar Cresta, the Collector said over 50 buildings were sealed in Coimbatore for deviations and violations. The owners of some of the buildings had taken legal recourse and based on the direction of the court, the seal was removed for some buildings.

 
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