The Hindu 18.11.2013
Owners of unapproved layouts in a tight spot
Corporation still awaiting GO for regularisation of layouts
Nearly three years after the merger of Tiruverumbur town
panchayat and four village panchayats with Tiruchirapalli City
Corporation, owners of plots in unapproved layouts in the five
newly-created wards are still unable to get plan approvals for
construction of buildings in their property. The corporation is still
awaiting a response from the government after having sought an order for
the regularisation of unapproved residential layouts in the five wards.
The
five new wards, 61 to 65, were created following the merger of
Tiruverumbur town panchayat and Pappakurichi, Ellakudi, Keezha
Kalkandarkottai and Alathur panchayats, all in the eastern suburb of the
city, with the corporation following the delimitation exercise. The
merger was ordered by the government in September 2010.
According
to sources, there are about 17,500 plots in unapproved layouts in the
five new wards spread over Golden Rock, Ariyamangalam zones, and in
other parts of the city. Over 15,000 of these plots are said to be in
the newly-added wards.
Several houses have already
come up in the residential localities. But those who want to construct
buildings on the property over the past three years have not been able
to do so as the corporation says it cannot entertain their applications
for plan approvals without regularisation of their layouts.
“We
have represented the case to the corporation and other elected
representatives. But so far, there has been no response. Civic officials
simply say they are still awaiting a government order. But many plot
owners like me are facing problems as we cannot raise housing loans from
banks to build houses. All we want is to follow the rules, but we are
fed-up over the red tape,” says an owner of plot in one such layout near
Kattur Pappakurichi.
Although councillors from the
wards have been raising the issue at the corporation council, they get
the same stock reply from the officials. The corporation, officials say,
has already sent a report to the Commissioner of Municipal
Administration identifying plots in the unapproved layouts in the five
wards and elsewhere in the city.
The corporation had
sought either an extension of an earlier government scheme (providing
for regularisation of layouts) implemented a few years ago or issue of a
fresh GO for regularising the unapproved layouts. Recently, the
corporation started assessing property in the newly-added wards for tax.