Feeling the pain and suffering of the people in getting passed new building plans through the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC), the Government has, in principle, agreed to overthrow the existing system. Department of Urban Development has forwarded the proposal it received from the RMC in amended form to Minister CP Singh who is out of station and recuperating in Delhi after a bypass surgery.
“We have received objections from various quarters complaining about difficulties in getting a building plan passed at the RMC. As per earlier system one building plan was to be okayed only after issuing at least three occupancy certificates. This was penalising those also who are without any fault. We have received a fresh proposal from the RMC to amend the condition put and the file has been sent to the Minister,” said Urban Development Secretary Ajay Kumar Singh.
The Pioneer had raised the issue prominently and had nailed the draconian order and the RMC for continuing with this. later reacting to it CP Singh had admitted that the provision was sounding erroneous and need to be corrected. “We have come across several complaints regarding this. We will sort out the issue soon. It would be reviewed and if needed, would be scrapped,” the Minister had said at the start of this month.
“There was some impracticality involved and it has been proposed to keep it builder specific and not something like 1:3 ratio in respect to issuance of occupancy certificates. If any particular builder is not coming in terms with the desired facility in any building or has violated set norms, he should be identified and his building plans coming for approval should be sacked,” added the Secretary.
However, in the want of specific order and decision at the top level situation is as usual at the RMC. It is leant that the decision to do away with the condition is possible only after the Minister returns from Delhi or gives any direction in this regard from there itself. The provision had come into existence following the High Court order which had directed the RMC through the Department to cut water and power connections to such buildings for which the occupancy certificate is not issued. This prompted the Department to stop passing new building plans for Ranchi. Nevertheless, it later came with a vent and imposed the condition.
RMC CEO Prashant Kumar when contacted also referred to the proposal sent to the Department requesting it to elope the particular clause. “We have got several complains and have written to the Department for further direction. We are still awaiting the orders,” said the CEO. Occupancy certificate is a prerequisite for allowing occupants to start residing in any building and gets issued only after a builder submits completion certificate with the RMC guaranteeing fulfillment of all the necessary requirements in the building and after being inspected. But this has been a major roadblock in the city. Facts suggest since 2009 when the RMC has overtaken charge of issuing occupancy certificates from earlier RRDA, paltry nine such applications have got stamped till 2014.