The residents of South Delhi areas will now be spared the hassle of getting a compulsory ‘no-objection certificate’ from the Archaeological Survey of India from getting their building plans sanctioned. The new rule of the ASI that makes it mandatory to procure NOC in all colonies of Delhi will now be applicable to the localities having heritage structures and protected monuments.
A resolution to this effect was passed by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation in its Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday. The Municipal Commissioner has been directed to order a survey and identify the colonies within its limits where such structures exist.
“The Municipal Commissioner is directed to issue orders to the Chief Town Planner and the Engineer-in-Chief to prepare a list of the colonies having heritage buildings or protected monuments within 15 days. The residents of only these colonies will be required to procure the NOC from ASI for getting the building plans sanctioned. Further, the plot owners will not even have to furnish an affidavit in this regard,” the resolution said.
The proposal moved by leader of House in South Delhi Corporation, Subhash Arya said a majority of the colonies in the Capital do not have protected monuments and hence plot owners of these areas had to face unnecessary hassle of getting the NOC from the ASI. “The mandatory NOC is apparently unnecessary as it delays the overall process of getting the building plans sanctioned and subsequently in approving the lay-out plans of the colonies. The department should mark these colonies with heritage structures to avoid hassles,” Arya said.
Any construction with the 100 metre radius of a heritage building or ASI protected monuments is restricted in Delhi. Further, a new rule of the ASI made it mandatory for the plot owners to get a no-objection certificate from it for getting sanction to carry out the construction activities in the city. Besides, the plot owners are also required to file an affidavit declaring that no heritage structure is located in the vicinity of the construction site.