In an effort to clamp down on illegal constructions within its jurisdiction, the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) has now roped in the AP Central Power Distribution Company Ltd (APCPDCL) as its partner.
The CPDCL has been requested not to sanction power connections to new constructions unless it was satisfied that the building was constructed as per the sanctioned plan.
Member-Secretary and SCB Chief Executive S. Balakrishna on Saturday said he had written to top CPDCL authorities on the matter.
“We have been able to control unauthorised constructions to a large extent over the last few years, yet there are instances of a few escaping our vigil,” he explained.
Denying power connections to illegal constructions and encroachments on government lands will effectively put a halt to them, he observed, while pointing out that the drinking water connection is currently not given to such buildings as the SCB itself handles the operations.
Annually, the Cantt. Board issues more than 200 permissions for fresh constructions and it provides a water connection only after an official assessment of the property tax is done. The Department of Stamps and Registrations will also be contacted so that property registrations are also dependent on building permissions issued by the SCB, Mr. Balakrishna said.
“If we can control registrations of the illegally-constructed buildings and deny power, we can effectively curb unauthorised constructions totally. There is a need for better coordination among the Government departments,” he averred.
GHMC’s success
Incidentally, the GHMC has managed to control illegal constructions ever since it linked water/sewer connections to the official building permissions by roping in the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), senior municipal officials claimed.
It has been insisting on production of an ‘occupancy certificate’, indicating that the building was constructed as per the sanctioned plan without deviation, before approving water connection.
However, it has so far not been able to convince either the Registration Department or APCPDCL about holding up registrations or withholding power connections, respectively, for unauthorised constructions. Can the SCB do a better job?
