NILESHWARAM: B Thajudeen, a Sharjah-returned businessman, feels he is in the same sinking boat as NRI investor Sajan Parayil was three weeks ago.In 2012, Thajudeen sold his supermarket and laundry business in Sharjah and invested the money in 40 shops in a shopping complex in Nileshwaram. Seven years later, he is still running around for occupancy certificate so that he can rent out the shops. All these years, he had been investing in the building to correct the ‘lapses’ and get the certificate. “But now I am done. I don’t have any more money. And I am not going to bribe these officials or buy them chicken biryani,” says Thajudeen.
Thajudeen bought all the 40 shops on the second floor of Unity Tower in Nileshwaram for `4.5 crore in 2012. When he bought the second floor, all the rooms on the first and ground floors were occupied by various business establishments.
But the municipality refused to grant occupancy certificate to Thajudeen citing many lapses. Ironically, this municipality is also controlled by the CPM. Three weeks ago, NRI investor Sajan Parayil had committed suicide after the CPM-ruled Anthoor municipality denied clearance to his convention centre citing various reasons.
Thajudeen said: “The municipality said the building did not have a lift or bathrooms for the disabled. Though I own just the second floor, I was made to set up the lift and build bathrooms by spending another `10 lakh,” he says.
The municipality then said there was no fire exit in the building. “Again, I was singularly targeted and asked to build the fire exit,” he says. He spent `8 lakh to make the fire exit for the entire complex.
Then, the municipality said the building has parking slots for only 20 cars, and Thajudeen was asked to find space for 20 more cars. “If there was not enough parking space, the municipality should not have given permission to built the second floor in the first place,” he says.
When contacted, the municipality officials said the permit to build Unity Tower was given when Nileshwaram was a grama panchayat. In 2010, Nileshwaram became a municipality and the a new set of came into effect.
The builders of Unity Tower completed the second floor and sold it to Thajudeen.Other business persons in Nileshwaram feel Thajudeen is being victimised for no fault of his. “No builder will invest in a project without permit. Since, Unity Tower had the permit when Nileshwaram was a panchayat, the municipality could have given an exemption to Thajudeen on parking space,” says a businessman, who owns a commerical complex in Nileshwaram.
Around 50 m away from Unity Tower is City Centre, another complex. It has three floors, and now they made a temporary shelter on the terrace and are running a coaching centre. But it does not have enough parking space. “But that building started operation when Nileshwaram was a panchayat. Thajudeen should also get the same benefit, considering he has met all the other requirements of the municipality,” he says.But, municipal secretary Manoj Kumar T blamed District Town Planner. “We got his application and forwarded it to Town Planner,” he says. Tajudeen says the town planner issued a notice which said the parking space could be waived if he paid a fine of `27 lakh. “How much will the officials harass a person? Are they waiting for me to commit suicide to give the permit?” he says.
Sajan’s convention centre gets licence
Kannur : Anthoor municipality on Tuesday issued licence to Parthas Convention Centre, which was in the eye of a storm following the suicide of NRI businessman Sajan Parayil. Municipal secretary M Rameshan said that licence was issued as the owners rectified five violations in the construction as suggested by the civic body.