Various decisions including amendments related to housing and construction were approved by the State cabinet in its meeting held on Monday. In the meeting chaired by chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, decisions were taken to strengthen authorities and resolve practical problems being faced in housing construction while keeping balanced development and the geographical features of the state in mind.
Cabinet minister and State Government spokesman Madan Kaushik informed that the cabinet had approved amendment in the Uttarakhand Building Construction and Development by-laws/regulation 2011.
Following this, apart from the existing plain (upto 600 metres altitude) and mountain category (above 600 metres), a third category- foothills will be implemented in the districts of Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Almora and Champawat.
The authority concerned will ascertain the area falling in the foothill category in order to preserve the natural beauty and check uncontrolled construction. In the foothill areas, according to the width of the road, provision has been made for maximum building height of 21 metres. Amendments in aspects of various types of residential, commercial and office constructions in both mountainous and plain areas were also approved.
The cabinet approved necessary amendments to encourage activity in the tourism, medical health, housing and other spheres. Provision will be made in the by-laws to ease the establishment of educational institutions, hospitals, laboratories and nursing homes in the health sector and hotels according to their star rating.
Further, approval was also granted for simplification of standards for eco-resorts, allowing maximum height of building in housing sector as per width of the road and plot area, simplification of provisions for establishment of mall/multiplex and service apartment and provision for permitting one extra floor in buildings made according to the traditional architectural style of Uttarakhand. Amendments were also approved in the by-law to encourage mixed land use and make parking provisions more practical to encourage the service sector in the mountainous regions while also enhancing the convenience of the public. The cabinet approved relaxation in certain conditions specifically to encourage investors in the service sector in the mountainous regions.
A one-time settlement scheme was also approved to enable compounding of single residential units, small shops, nursery schools, nursing homes and diagnostic centres.
Following this decision shops on minimum 15 square metres, clinics on minimum 50 square metres, lab on 100 square metres, nursing home on 150 square metres and nursery school on 300 square metres plots will be compoundable. The building owners should calculate the compounding fee based on circle rates as on April 1, 2018 and submit 50 per cent of the amount along with the building map for compounding to the authority concerned between January 15, 2019 and March 31, 2019.
The authority will use 75 per cent of the money earned through this scheme on developing green spaces, parking facility and lighting.
Further, to enable planned development and check unregulated constructions, the compounding fee will be hiked from April 1, 2019.
Kaushik informed that the cabinet had also approved amendment in the municipal corporation act sections 135 and 136 in order to increase the financial power of the mayor to `12 lakh, of the commissioner to `10 lakh and of the executive to `25 lakh while granting unlimited financial power to the board in corporations with more than five lakh population.
In the corporations with less than five lakh, the financial power of the mayor has been increased to `six lakh and of the executive to `15 lakh while granting unlimited power to the board.
The cabinet also approved the rates of early variety of sugar cane at `327 per quintal and of the normal variety at `317 per quintal at the mill gate.