CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government is planning to regularise all unauthorised constructions built across the state till 2019 by relaxing the existing amnesty scheme. The scheme under Section 113-C of the Town and Country Planning Act will be extended for another 12 years. The government feels that the razing of all illegal buildings or forced alteration could result in chaos and hardship for the common man.
The move comes after the government undertook an aerial survey of buildings in the three wards of Kilpauk, Royapettah, and Adyar that represent the north, central, and southern parts of Chennai. It was found that unauthorised developments have mushroomed in the city’s prime locations. Large-scale violations were found in the floor space index (FSI), setbacks, the height of the building, and car parking, among others.
While the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), which is struggling to implement the first regularisation scheme that granted one-time amnesty for buildings built before 1999, brought a new regularisation scheme in 2017 by amending the Town and Country Planning Act, the new amnesty scheme was meant for unauthorised constructions built before 2007.
‘Govt took no action on illegal constructions’
Under the regularisation scheme, building owners would be allowed to rectify violations to avoid lock-and-seal action by the government. However, residents ought to pay regularisation charges based on the size, guideline value, and location of the buildings. Several property owners stay away due to the higher charges. Following this, the government had already relaxed some conditions exempting rates for FSI violations.
However, the scheme was caught in a legal tangle, and the government is likely to make a submission to the Supreme Court pertaining to the amnesty scheme. Official sources said the survey using drones revealed that the majority of illegal construction was carried out between 2007 and 2019.