‘MUDA has revised zonal regulations to help builders'

Samiti takes exception to clause under ‘parking requirements'

Nagarika Hitarakshana Samiti has alleged that the Mangalore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) has revised the zonal regulations of Master Plan II for Mangalore Local Planning Area for the second time to help and protect the interests of builders.

Notification

The State government notified the revised regulations on October 26, 2011.

It has taken exception to insertion of a clause (S. No. 19.9, page 42) under “parking requirements” in the revised regulations.

President of the samiti G. Hanumantha Kamath wrote to the Secretary, Department of Urban Development, on November 19 to withdraw this clause which, he said, would promote construction of commercial buildings without zones for parking vehicles.

The clause reads: “In case of non-residential buildings, if parking required for the existing portion of the building (as per zonal regulations at the time of the approval of existing building) or for additional construction (as per these regulations) is not possible within available space in the basement floors or in the open space, the owner of the plot may pay the authority or the local authority parking fees for shortage of car parking of the requirement…''

Mr. Kamath questioned why this clause had been made applicable to only “non-residential” (read commercial) buildings?

Dearth of space

He said that the people in the city were facing a dearth of space to park their vehicles.

This clause would only help construct more commercial buildings without space to park vehicles, he said.

By paying the fee, builders could pass the buck on to the Mangalore City Corporation or other local bodies under the Mangalore Local Planning Area, Mr. Kamath said.

Fee

The clause mentioned how the fee should be collected from owners of such buildings.

It said: “…The authority/local authority shall use such amounts collected for constructing multi-level car parking facilities in the vicinity…”

Referring to insertion “vicinity” in the clause, Mr. Kamath sought to know if there was space left in the heart of the city for constructing multi-level car parking zones.

He alleged that this clause might prompt the local body to acquire private properties (such as houses) for constructing multi-level car parking zones in the guise of “public interest”.

Charge

Mr. Kamath alleged that a Minister and the real estate lobby were behind revision of the regulations for the second time.

It was not in the people's interests, he said.

Commissioner of the city corporation Harish Kumar told The Hindu on Friday that those who had obtained licence from the corporation for constructing buildings and had not commenced construction till the revised notification came into effect, would have to obtain fresh licence.