CHENNAI: Lack of adequate information to help activists and residents identify building plan and usage violations on the city corporation’s website is helping violators, activists have claimed.
While Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) furnishes details such as planning permission number, date of submission of application, usage, site address, proposed construction plan and even the names and contact details of the structural and site engineers, the Corporation’s website falls short.
While it displays basic details such as the permit number, the date on which the permit was issued and the applicant’s name, the activists said there was not enough information to identify building plan and usage violations.
“There were two cases in our locality - one of suspected building violation and the other of use violation. But, in order to view the plan, I had no other option to file an RTI. By the time the reply came, it was about 60 days and the building had already reached its final stages of construction.” said T Nagar Residents Welfare Association secretary B Kannan.
The Greater Chennai Corporation issues plan permits to residential and commercial buildings with stilt plus two floors. “Now we are able to access information on violations only through RTIs, whereas it would be much easier for the public and the Corporation itself if they make the details available online,” said Jayaram Venkatesan, convener of Arappor Iyakkam.
“As far as the Corporation is concerned, they are only looking to take away whatever transparency is already there. For instance, the zone-wise list of works undertaken were available online until a few months back, but it was taken down,” he added.
To add to their woes, while it is mandatory for builders to display details such as the planning permission number and floor plans at the time of construction, several builders fail to do so, the activists alleged. “Both the CMDA and Corporation must insist upon builders to put up boards so that the public may identify violations and report them for further action,” said Kannan.
When contacted, a senior corporation official said, “As far as the website is concerned, we have listed a few details. There are a lot of arguments to be taken into consideration — some feel it is third party information, some feel residential building details need not be made public.”
Need of the hour
While CMDA furnishes details such as planning permission number, date of submission of application, usage, site address, proposed construction plan and even the names and contact details of the structural and site engineers, the Corporation’s website gives only basic facts
The Corporation issues plan permits to residential and commercial buildings with stilt plus two floors. So when there are violations, it can only be brought to light by RTI applications and by the time replies come, it would already be too late