Illegal buildings: Mayor passes the buck to State govt.

Kochi Corporation not to cancel occupancy certificate issued to flats constructed in violation of CRZ norms.

Activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India conduct a protest in front of the DLF apartment complex at Chilavannoor in Kochi on Wednesday. – Photo: Vipin Chandran

Kochi Corporation will not cancel the occupancy certificate issued to flats constructed in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms, which was highlighted in the recently released report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). Instead, the local body will wait for the State government to act against the violators.

Refusing the Opposition’s demand in this regard in the corporation council meeting on Wednesday, Kochi Mayor Tony Chammany said that being a socially responsible administration, Kochi Corporation could not send the residents of the apartments to the streets by cancelling the occupancy certificates issued earlier.

The report of the CAG, which listed the 11 builders, including the DLF in Chilavannoor area, who violated the CRZ norms, had generated a heated debate in the council.

Lashing out against the administration for failing to act against the violators, Anilkumar of the CPI(M) said action should be taken against all the builders who illegally constructed the apartment complexes. The local body sat on the reports of violations and issued occupancy certificates to the illegal buildings, he alleged.

Steps for preventing the encroachment on Chilavannoor Lake should be initiated. Criminal proceedings should be initiated against those who completed the construction of the flats ignoring the stop memo issued by the local body, he demanded.

K.N. Sunilkumar demanded action against all those responsible for allowing the illegal structures to come up.

T.J. Vinod, chairman of the Development Standing Committee of the Corporation, said permission was issued to all the illegal constructions during the LDF regime. The local body cannot force the residents of these apartments out of the buildings in the wake of the recent developments, he said.

K.J. Sohan, chairman of the Town Planning Standing Committee, said confusion existed regarding CRZ regime. The investors coming to the city cannot be scared away citing CRZ regulations. Awareness programmes should be organised for the officials and the civic administrators on the provisions of the CRZ laws, he said.

V.A. Srijith pointed out that a building was being constructed at Palluruthy in violation of the regulations and the local body has not acted on it. The Opposition councillors shouted slogans demanding action against the illegal constructions as the Mayor announced his decision not to cancel the occupancy certificates.