School buildings in non-plan areas: Panel formed to review documents
CHENNAI: The Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) on Friday constituted a committee to review documents from the management of educational institutions that have applied to get concurrence for buildings constructed in non-plan areas. This comes four years after TN government approved according amnesty to school buildings constructed before January 1, 2011, in non-plan areas.
The government’s move comes as schools operating prior to 2011 have been suffering with many wanting to migrate from matriculation to Central Board of Secondary Education boards so that State students could compete in NEET examinations, sources said. Many wanted to renovate their buildings as well, sources added.
The committee -- headed by the DTCP joint director with deputy directors, assistant directors and ministerial staff -- will call for documents from the management. According to the Government Order accessed by TNIE, the educational institutions have to pay a one-time fee of `7.50 a square feet of the floor space index area of the building, which shall be self-assessed. The money will be paid online in the Infrastructure and Amenities Fund account.
The G.O. states that building with encroachments onto a public road, on poramboke or local authority lands will not be accorded approval. Similarly, open spaces and recreational areas, water bodies and land affected by the erstwhile Tamil Nadu Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1978 (Tamil Nadu Act 24 of 1978) will not be considered for concurrence.
Meanwhile, president of Association of Professional Town Planners (APTP) KM Sadanandh said that a safety audit of the school buildings should be done before giving the no-objection certificate. However, threatening schools with non-recognition is not a solution, he contended.
Earlier, the Madras High Court asked the director of school education to constitute a panel in each district to inspect all schools and ensure they conform to requisite building regulations and safety norms. The proposal was submitted after representations from the Consortium of Self-Financing Professional Arts and Science Colleges in Tamil Nadu and the Federation of Association of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that DTCP submitted a new time schedule where the hearing will be conducted with the management. According to the schedule, Kancheepuram was reviewed on Friday.