COIMBATORE: The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) and the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) have come under severe criticism for removing the regular scheme for building plan approvals in the local body and making self-certification scheme mandatory for all residential buildings up to 3,500 sq ft. The move to increase the approval fees of regular scheme applications for buildings above 3,500 sq ft, to match the fee of the self-certification scheme, has also drawn flak.
Chief Minister MK Stalin on July 22 launched the single window system through building plans get approval instantly to construct residential structures with ground or ground plus one floor, of not over seven metres and on plot sizes up to 2,500 sq ft and built-up area up to 3,500 sq ft.
As per the new self-certification scheme, a fee of Rs 88 per sq ft is being collected for approvals of residential buildings up to 3,500 sq ft, sources said. Under the existing regular scheme, only Rs 32-39 was collected. Activists, the public and even councillors have raised concerns over the difference in fees. However, instead of reducing the self-certification fee, the fee for regular approvals has also been increased by the DMA to match the single window portal fee.
K Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause told TNIE, “When people were complaining about the fee difference and demanding to reduce it, Director Municipal Administration S Sivarasu sent a circular to the corporations & municipalities to hike fees for the regular mode to match it with the self-certification scheme. The CCMC commissioner, misguided by the town planning department, ordered to raise the fee. This is strongly condemnable.”
He also pointed out that the CCMC commissioner passed the order without obtaining the necessary approval from the CCMC council and notifying the same in the district gazette. “For 1% of the Labour Welfare Fund (LWF), local body officials fix the rates themselves, instead of the owners. They fix the rate as Rs 2,330 per sq ft, instead of the PWD rate of Rs 1,110 for LWF. Without fixing the building plan approval, removing the debris and setting up UGD systems, the civic body continues to charge for those services, which is illegal.”