Violators make mockery of MC’s building bylaws

Years of slack enforcement of bylaws by municipal corporation (MC) has lent a freehand to violators to misuse the government land as the civic body has failed to collect Rs 23 crore from violators of the building bylaws since last 15 years.

While the MC is already struggling to improve its financial condition, the recovery of building composition fee from the violators is going at snail’s pace. For 2014-15 period, the building branch had to recover rs 10 crore, but it has recovered only rs 5 crore till now, while the deadline will end on March 31.

MC commissioner GK Singh had on Friday directed the building branch to recover the pending building composition fee of `5 crore from the violators in time.

While there are thousands of illegal buildings in the city, many violators have ignored the challans issued to them by the building branch.

For 2014-15, the building branch had to recover Rs 10 crore, but it has recovered only `5 crore, while the deadline will end on March 31.

An official of the building branch, requesting anonymity, said they would submit a daily report of collection of the building composition fee from the violators.

He said they had already issued challans in this regard. He further told that the violators, who had illegally done change of land use (CLU) are also included in the list of violators. He further said the various teams of different zones would conduct recovery drives.

Many development works, including carpeting of roads, covering of Ganda Nullah, renovation of multi-level parking and other projects are pending due to lack of funds.

GK Singh said, “I have directed the staff of the building branch to achieve the recovery target by March 31. They have to recover Rs 10 crore. Till now, they have recovered only Rs 5 crore.”

In July last year, then MC commissioner Pradeep Kumar Agarwal had directed the officials concerned to recover around Rs 200 crore from the violators who had not paid charges of water supply, sewerage, house and property taxes. However, the speed of these recoveries is too slow.