The Hindu

Banalore, Nov 8: In order to regularise unauthorised constructions in Bangalore city, the State Government is all set to introduce a “people-friendly” Akrama-Sakrama scheme by amending the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 2004.

The State Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Minister for Transport R. Ashok met here on Friday and discussed the contentious scheme for regularisation of unauthorised and illegal structures and proposed to bring down the penalty as well as violations of residential buildings up to 75 per cent.

The panel has directed the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to submit a detailed proposal on number of building violations, both commercial and residential, in the city.

The Kumaraswamy Government had amended the Karnataka Town and Country Planning and Other Laws Act, 2004, during its Belgaum session to facilitate regularisation. The Kumaraswamy Government had allowed regularisation of residential buildings with violations of up to 50 per cent and commercial buildings with deviations of up to 25 per cent by simply paying a fee. According to the rules, the compounding fee (penalty) ranges from Rs. 100 a square metre to Rs. 600 a sq. m depending on the size of the area and of the plot or building.

Addressing presspersons after the committee meeting, Mr. Ashok said BBMP and BDA officials, builders and land owners were responsible for construction of unauthorised buildings. New rules would be framed to impose penalty as well as to award punishment for officials, land owners and developers for violation of building laws.

On the regularisation of unauthorised construction properties built by the poor on a site measuring 20 ft X 30ft, Mr. Mr. Ashok said it was proposed to collect small amount from them. Small vendors, autorickshaw drivers and the poor families violated building bylaws. The proposal would benefit lakhs of people within the jurisdiction of the BBMP. The panel was also in favour of reduction in the penalty paid by the middle class families, he said.

Other members of the panel Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Shobha Karandlaje and Minister for Excise and IT/BT Katta Subramanya Naidu did not divulge details on the proposed reduction in the penalty.

Maintaining that the regularisation of illegal structures involved several legal issues, Mr. Ashok said the amended Act would clearly come out new set of rules and regulations to prevent future violations.

The BDA in its revised Comprehensive Development Plan has declared 50 meters on either side of Raja Kaluve as a valley zone. The zone has included private properties too and no compensation had been given. The committee has decided to look into the issue and has asked the BDA to submit a detailed proposal on acquisition of such lands, he added.