The Hindu      21.03.2013 

State to consider changes in building rules

The government will examine the need for further changes
to the Kerala Municipal Building Rules to address any shortcomings,
Minister for Urban Affairs Manjalamkuzhi Ali has said.

Replying
to a submission moved by V.S. Achuthanandan in the Assembly on
Wednesday, he said the rules had been amended to ensure transparency,
eliminate malpractices in the real estate sector and minimise the scope
for violation of environmental laws.

Moving the
submission, Mr.Achuthanandan said the amendments had led to the
violation of the National Building Code and environmental laws.

He
said the setback relaxation in the amended rules and the dilution of
open space regulations for high-rise constructions were unscientific and
posed a danger to neighbouring buildings at many places.

Mr.Achuthanandan
said the permission granted for high-rise apartments near narrow roads
would affect fire-fighting in urban areas.

The
Minister said the amendments were introduced to address the slowdown in
the construction sector. “Investment and employment opportunities had
gone down and prices of apartments were going up. Many municipalities
had reported a drop in revenue. The flaws in the municipal building
rules forced construction companies to turn their attention to rural
areas, resulting in the reclamation of hills and wetlands with serious
long-term consequences for the environment.”

Mr.Ali
said the government was open to further changes in the rules. “The
Cabinet subcommittee set up for the purpose can look into the need for
amendments to address any shortcomings,” he said.

Minister
for Panchayats M.K. Muneer told the House that grama panchayats would
be allowed to carry over the unspent amount from the funds earmarked for
development of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes to the
next financial year.

Intervening in the debate on a
submission moved by K.Radhakrishnan, he said coordination committees led
by MLAs would keep a constant tab on the utilisation of SC/ST
development funds by panchayats from next year. Review meetings would be
held every three months, he said.

Minister for SC/ST
Welfare A.P. Anilkumar said the panchayats had reported poor
utilisation of the SC/ST development funds. While block panchayats had
spent 60 per cent of the allocated funds, grama panchayats spent only 28
to 32 per cent, and corporations utilised even less.

The Minister said the government would take steps to ensure better utilisation of the SC/ST development funds.

Earlier,
moving the resolution, Mr.Radhakrishnan said the lack of coordination
with departments was responsible for the poor utilisation of funds by
local bodies.