Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Urban Planning

Initiate action on building plan violations, LPA told

Wednesday, 24 November 2010 04:26 administrator
Print PDF

The Hindu      24.11.2010

Initiate action on building plan violations, LPA told

S.Ganesan
Director of Town and Country Planning directs issue of notices


All ears: Pankaj Kumar Bansal, Director, Town and Country Planning, listening to petitioners at a grievances day meeting in Tiruchi on Tuesday.

TIRUCHI: The Director of Town and Country Planning Pankaj Kumar Bansal has instructed the Assistant Director of Town and Country Planning/Member Secretary of the Local Planning Authority (LPA), Tiruchi, to initiate stern action against owners of commercial buildings in the city who have violated or deviated from the approved building plans.

Mr.Bansal directed the LPA member secretary to issue notices under Sec.56 and 57 of the Town and Country Planning Act to owners of all buildings, where violations were found, within a week and seal the buildings after giving them the mandatory 30-days time to comply with the plan.

The director gave the instructions when it was brought to his notice that many commercial buildings in the city had committed violations such as misusing basements earmarked as parking area, for commercial purposes. “Focus on the major violators first,” he told the official.

Speaking on the sidelines of a public grievances meeting which he chaired here on Tuesday, Mr.Bansal said he had been focussing on expediting issue of approvals and most issues has been sorted and would now turn attention to enforcement. Certain grey areas in development rules have been clarified. The pending list (applications for approval) is notified the directorate's and local LPA websites and e-mail addresses of officers were given for complaints.

Delegation of powers

He also disclosed that the Directorate of Town and Country Planning was examining the feasibility of delegating more powers to the local bodies.

“We have already delegated some powers to local bodies and the LPAs and discussions are on to delegate more powers,” he said pointing out that the local bodies were now empowered to grant plan approvals for residential buildings of up to 4,000 square feet and commercial buildings of up to 2,000 square feet. LPAs have been given powers to issue plan approvals for residential buildings up to 15,000 square feet and commercial buildings up to 12,000 square feet. LPAs were also empowered to issue approvals for layout up to five acres and school buildings and industries irrespective of the area.

Layout approvals

In an attempt to prevent illegal sale of the open space reserve (OSR known as common area) in layouts, the Directorate has now decided to issue layout approvals only after the roads and the OSR were handed over to the local body and the registered gift deed was made available. Criminal cases would be booked under those illegally selling the common area in already approved layouts. Besides, action would be initiated under Sec.56 and 57 of the Town and Country Planning Act, he said.

 

CMDA to constitute cell

Thursday, 11 November 2010 05:54 administrator
Print PDF

The Hindu  11.11.2010

CMDA to constitute cell

Aloysius Xavier Lopez

To look into densification along Metro Rail Corridor


FACILITY COMING: A view of the upcoming Metro Rail project on Jawaharlal Nehru Salai.

CHENNAI: The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority will soon constitute a cell to look into the Chennai Metro Rail Limited's proposal for densification along the Metro Rail Corridor.

If approved, the densification would lead to a higher Floor Space Index for the constructions in proximity to the corridor. More built-up space would mean more residents using the corridor.

The cell would comprise CMDA planners and officials of the CMRL.

“Densification of the Metro Rail corridor is under consideration,” CMDA vice-chairperson Susan Mathew told The Hindu on Wednesday.

At a meeting on the densification recently, CMDA planners had expressed reservations on account of the absence of any study by the CMRL to prove that densification would have a positive impact on metro rail.

According to CMDA officials, unless the CMRL addresses issues such as parking space near the proposed stations, densification is not advisable.

The CMRL would shortly undertake a study to document the benefits of densification, according to its Managing Director K. Rajaraman. “Densification is good as it is likely to increase the ridership of the Metro Rail.”

The CMRL is also planning to discuss the issue of parking with the Chennai Corporation and identify potential parking lots within 0.5 km of every proposed metro rail station.

This is essential as the land available for creating parking facilities near the stations is minimal in view of the limited land acquisition from private owners.

Last Updated on Thursday, 11 November 2010 05:56
 

TN flays CMDA for flouting service rules

Wednesday, 10 November 2010 11:09 administrator
Print PDF

The New Indian Express  10.11.2010

TN flays CMDA for flouting service rules

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has instructed the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) to obtain prior approval before making any changes in the nomenclature of the posts indicated in Service Rules of the CMDA.

Sources said the finance secretary in a  letter on September 17 stated that prior approval is required while relaxing the experience and qualification in the service rules. This comes in the wake of several complaints from Association of  Professional Town Planners and Institute of Town Planners, India  (ITPI) for not adhering to the government’s approved service rules in appointment to various posts in the organisation.Sources said that during July 29, 2010 a written test was held for the recruitment to the post of assistant planners by involving only BE degree holders without considering qualified Master degree town planners specifically trained in the specialized institutions in town and country planning.

This has sparked protest from the Association of Professional Town Planners (APTP) who urged CMDA to cancel recruitment and to consider only qualified persons for the assistant planner’s post as per approved Service Regulations of CMDA 1980. APTP and two individuals Kalaimani and Usha Rani, who had a Masters in town planning, challenged the recruitment in the HC last month and got an interim order on reserving a post each for Kalaimani and Usha Devi, sources said. “Despite 28 of our members attended the interview for the post of assistant planner in the past and where in no civil engineer attended the interview. It is strange that only civil engineers are being called for written test and interview suppressing professional rights of qualified town planners,” the association said. Even an HC order stated “so long as the word ‘prior approval of the government’ is found in Section 124 (1) of the TN Town and Country Planning Act, the CMDA making its own amendment and not getting approval does not make any regulation valid.” In 2006, the government questioned CMDA for filling up certain posts. But CMDA ignored the GO and went ahead in filling up the posts, ITPI said.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 November 2010 11:11
 
More Articles...


Page 59 of 101