CHENNAI: The State government is ready with draft rules and
guidelines to regularise or grant amnesty to unauthorised buildings
built before July 1, 2007. This comes after the Madras High Court gave
four weeks deadline to the State to notify rules, following a petition
by activist litigant ‘Traffic’ KR Ramaswamy in the wake of the Chennai
Silks fire in T Nagar.

This is the second time such buildings are being granted amnesty,
which has been challenged by the Madras High Court-appointed Monitoring
Committee of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA).

The committee stated that such amnesty is a one-time measure, and giving
amnesty to unauthorised developers would violate the letter and spirit
of development regulations and encourage illegal developments, resulting
in unplanned cities and infrastructure concerns.

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The Section 113-C amendments came into being after the government
constituted a committee under Justice Mohan to look into all aspects of
developments, and to suggest amendments to the Town and Country Planning
Act. Guidelines of the new amendment (Section 113-C) were struck down
by the High Court, resulting in the government appointing the Justice
Rajeswaran Committee to frame new guidelines.

These directions, which have been tabled before the Cabinet, states that
regularisation application that was refused under the earlier amnesty
scheme under Section 113 A — which regularised unauthorised
constructions built before February 29, 1999 — may be considered for
regularisation under the new scheme.

Similarly, those applications pending under Section 113-B of Town and
Country Planning Act, which was inserted in 2002 to regularise
unauthorised constructions in Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Salem and
Tirunelveli Corporations, will be remitted for disposal under Section
113-C.

The government has partially accepted the Justice Rajeswaran Committee’s
proposal to include all unauthorised buildings built prior to July 1,
2007 and having height of up to 17.25 metres under the category of
special building, irrespective of number of floors. These building are
eligible for regularisation.

Even buildings that fail to adhere to parking norms could face
exemption, as it is being proposed to exempt parking norms with payment
of penalties. This could be `10,000 for residential buildings without
car parking inside and outside Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA).

For unauthorised commercial buildings failing to adhere to parking
norms, the fine is `1 lakh within CMA, and `50,000 outside CMA.
Unauthorised buildings that don’t have parking facilities for
two-wheelers will have to pay `2,500 as penalty.

Modalities for regularisation
    This will be a voluntary disclosure scheme, and all applications will be received online
    Applications collected online will be segregated and forwarded to
concerned authorities for issue of regularisation or rejection order
    For ordinary buildings in CMA, regularisation will be processed by concerned local bodies

    Applications should have building plan duly certified by registered
architect or licensed surveyor or engineer indicating violations
    Applications for regularisations other than ordinary, special and
group developments of residential use should have structural stability
certificate and NOC from Directorate of Fire and Rescue Services
    A total of six months from the date of notification will be given
to the unauthorised construction to file regularisation application
    All applications will be processed within three months from the last date of receipt of applications
    Those unauthorised buildings which fail to apply within six months
will be levied a penalty of enhanced property tax of 200 per cent of
normal tax payable