The Chennai Silks showroom in T. Nagar has been violating norms ever since its construction in 2000, said Urban Development and Housing Minister Udumalai K. Radhakrishnan on Thursday.
To avoid action against violations, it has been obtaining orders from the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court, he told a press conference.
It was an illegal construction from the time it was built. The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) granted approval only for ground and four floors. Though authorities demolished three floors following violations, the building owner managed to obtain interim orders against the action from the High Court, he explained.
“The building has not even got the completion certificate so far because because of violations,” he said.
Asked whether it was only because of the orders of the Madras High Court that the government was not able to act upon violators, the Minister replied in the affirmative. “What can be we do if they get orders from the High Court?”
Replying to a query on how they managed to run a showroom in an unauthorised building , the Minister said notices were issued by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and Chennai Metrowater. But the violator managed to find some “loopholes” and went to court.
Asked what the government was planning to deal with unauthorised buildings at T.Nagar, he said the plan was to implement Section 113-C of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1971 (regularisation). “We will discuss with the Chief Minister and act on it,” he said.
The Minister claimed that there were petitions against the Justice Mohan Committee and Justice S. Rajeswaran Committee and hence there was a delay in taking action against violators.
When asked what steps were taken by the government against violators after the 2008 fire accident at Saravana Stores, Mr. Radhakrishnan said he became a Minister only in 2016. As for regularisation, when asked whether the regularisation process would recognise unauthorised buildings, the Minister said not all such buildings could be regularised.
V.V. Minerals case
When asked why the building violation by V.V. Minerals in Tirunelveli district was not acted upon strictly, Housing Secretary Dharmendra Pratap Yadav said relaxation of norms was possible. The department was only trying to check whether the notice to seal the property was proper and whether the building could be regularised, Mr. Yadav said.
( As told by the Housing Minister )
