The Indian Express   12.08.2012

PCMC to blacklist builders & architects for illegal structures

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has decided to
blacklist builders and architects who set up illegal structures in the
town.

Municipal Commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi told Newsline on
Saturday that the names of the black-listed builders and architects will
be put up on PCMC website and at Citizens Facilitation Centres.

“Basically, small-time builders indulge in illegal constructions.
They rake in money to get more projects. We will post the names of such
builders on our website so that public is aware of them,” he said.

Pardeshi said that the administration will not allow such
builders and architects to work in the industrial town. “Their projects
won’t be approved,” he said.

He said the details of the authorised properties and plots
reserved in the development plan will be also posted on the official
website. “The common man is unaware of complexities of investing in
real estate. If a person buys a property and if it turns out to be an
illegal, he incurs huge losses. The civic administration is therefore
preparing a list of structures that have been built and those that are
in construction stages,” he said. PCMC will also post the names of
builders and the sanctioned projects on the website.

Pardeshi reiterated that the administration was determined to
pull down illegal structures that came up after March 31, 2012. He,
however, said they have sent a proposal to the state government to
explore the possibility of regularising some of the structures that came
up before March 31, 2012. “The state government is already considering
such a proposal. We have suggested to extend gunthewari scheme, allow
2.5 FSI and relaxtion in development control rules,” he said.

Rubbishing charges that he was buckling under pressure from three NCP
MLAs – laxman Jagtap, Vilas Lande and Anna Bansode, Pardeshi said, “The
MLAs had demanded 4 FSI. But we have mooted 2.5 FSI,” he said.

“We are acting against illegal structures on the directives of
the high court…There is no pressure on us from any quarters,” he said.
The three MLAs had staged a protest outside the state assembly
recently.

Civic officials said efforts are also under way to regularise
illegal structures that came up before March 31, 2012 by imposing fine
on them. “Besides some suggestions made PCMC administration, imposing
fine to regularise structures is also one of the options being
considered by the civic body as well as the state government,” officials
said.

PCMC chief said as of now they are targetting 937 illegal
structures that came up after March 31, 2012. The drive began on
Wednesday at Dighi where residents resorted to heavy stone-pelting.
Pardeshi said they have sought help from the State Reserve Police Force
for carrying out the drive. “As and when we get police bandbost, we will
carry out the demolition drive,” he said.

The issue of illegal constructions has been raging in
Pimpri-Chinchwad for over two years now. A resident had approach Bombay
High Court following which the court asked PCMC to issue notices against
illegal structures and subsequently demolish them. It was found that
over one lakh structures were illegal in town.