THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : In a major pro-people initiative, the state government on Monday announced major reforms aimed at easing building construction regulations. Local Self Government Minister M B Rajesh announced a slew of relaxations in the building construction regulations, including extension of building permit validity and parking regulations.
As per the new reforms, the government has decided to grant an additional five-year extension for building permits depending on the needs of the project. Currently, the building permits have a validity of five years with an option to extend for another five years.
There will be major relaxations for parking rules providing huge relief to the construction industry. The new amendment will allow parking on adjacent plots owned by the same owner based on certain conditions. The minister said that the existing rules mandate parking facility on the same plot and it is becoming a major challenge for a land-scarce state like Kerala.
As per the new norms, 25% of the parking must be provided on the construction plot while the remaining 75% can be provided on a plot within 200 metres belonging to the same owner.
The minister also announced major relaxation of parking rules for turfs. Currently, LSGs are granting permits for turfs under the assembly occupancy category, which requires parking facilities similar to an auditorium. The minister said turfs without galleries do not require such extensive parking and relaxations would be given. The parking requirement for schools, colleges, hostels will also be amended.
Dedicated call centre to curb corruption
In an effort to effectively address public grievances and ensure timely delivery of services, the LSGD has decided to introduce a dedicated call centre and WhatsApp number. The minister said that immediate action would be taken based on the complaint. He said a revised Service Rights Law incorporating a slew of people-friendly provisions has been notified. The minister said that strict action would be taken against officials who summon applicants unnecessarily to offices.
The minister said that internal vigilance officers would be assigned to oversee local self government institutions to ensure the effective delivery of public services. These officers track file movement and service delivery timelines using K-Smart and online systems. Weekly reports are to be submitted to the Principal Director of LSGD and ministerial-level reviews of the same will be held every two weeks.
Uniform user fee for waste collection
M B Rajesh said that the practice of charging separate fees for different types of non-biodegradable waste would be discontinued. He said a standard user fee would be introduced. He said that the user fee for waste collection from commercial establishment would be fixed based on the quantity of waste they generate.
New design wing, quality monitoring labs for projects
The LSGD has decided to establish a new design wing for executing major projects. Currently, the LSGIs are depending on engineering colleges and outside agencies for the job. The minister said that there were growing complaints from the part of the local bodies that the projects were becoming more expensive because of this. Minister said that quality monitoring labs would be established to ensure high standards for infrastructure project.