ONGOLE: In order to crack the whip on the careless attitude of builders/owners regarding illegal construction works here, the Ongole municipal corporation (OMC) is planning to conduct a special drive to attract builders/owners to come forward for the regularisation of construction through the building penalisation scheme (BPS).
In the current BPS, the government exempts all construction entirely finished or with slab laying works done on or before August, 2018. This was done after the payment of the stipulated penal fee to the concerned municipality/municipal corporation authorities. If any illegal/unauthorised construction is found to have not utilised the BPS, the municipality concerned holds every right to demolish or destroy that building or apartment.
The lack of response on the builders’ part has been baffling the officials. Lack of sufficient staff also became a cause for the delay in taking stringent action on the town planing rule violators. All most all of the town planning wings of municipalities in the district, including OMC is facing staff crunch. Though all municipalities are suffering from 30 to 50 per cent staff shortage in the town planning wing, the OMC is suffering even more due to he absence of a building inspector, when four posts have been allotted.
These inspectors are supposed to play key role in identifying the illegal/unauthorised constructions on the field level. Out of the three town-planning supervisors, only one has been working. One assistant city planner (ACP) has been available instead of ideal two. No recruitment drive for a long time has left staff shortage in the department State-wide.
“For the current building penalisation scheme, 928 application were received and among them, so far, 259 have been approved and 142 are being processed. Remaining are in the pending category. From the approved ones, we have earned Rs 3.66 crore as penal fee against the expected BPS earnings of around `8 crore,” PN Reddy, OMC chief said.