Starting April 1, Chennai Corporation will follow new steps to ensure building plans are not violated. Every approved plan copy should have a record of the name of the divisional Assistant Engineer/Junior Engineer including the phone number. Instructions to the building owner or builder stressing the need to inform the AE/JE on completion of foundation would be incorporated in the approval copy.
According to a press release, for every approved plan or building permit advice issued after April 1, the owner would have to inform the divisional AE/JE at the ward office as soon as the foundation is completed. The failure to do so on the part of the building owner or builder will lead to temporary suspension of building plan permit, which would also be recorded on the approved plan.
An acknowledgement letter would be issued to the applicant by the AE/JE after the intimation from the building owner or builder is received. The AE/JE would inspect the site within 10 working days to ensure that the foundation is laid as per the dimensions of the approved plan. If the AE/JE fails to inspect the site within 10 working days, the house owner shall continue the work of construction, the release said.
If the dimension of the foundation is in violation to the building plan, stop work notice would immediately be issued and rectification would have to be carried out by the building owner or the builder. If the construction is in accordance with the approved plan, the AE/JE would fill up a form at the site itself and hand it over to the building owner/site in-charge, to indicate that the foundation is in line with the approved plan.
This procedure would in no way supersede the general instructions and rules for constructions and if there is any gross violation after the foundation stage, suitable action would be taken within the existing legal provisions, the release said.
The civic body has the responsibility of processing planning permission application for ordinary buildings, which have stilt plus two floors or ground floor plus first floor not exceeding six dwelling units in case of residential buildings and not more than 300 sq. m. in case of commercial buildings. The sanction is given by the zonal executive engineer in accordance with the delegation of powers issued by the member secretary of CMDA.
The new procedure is aimed at speeding the enforcement action against violations.
In many cases, notice for lock and seal is issued to the building owners only after the construction reaches the roof-level, leading to litigation. In order to prevent such situations, the civic body has decided to prevent such deviations in the beginning stage itself, the release said.
