Special camps to be held for regularisation of layouts

With the response to the State government’s scheme to regularise unapproved layouts picking up gradually, the Tiruchi Corporation is seeking to give it a push by organising special camps to receive applications.

Sources in the Corporation said the response to the scheme has picked up over the past three months. “We have mopped up Rs. 3.25 crore as development charges and nearly 400 plots have been approved so far. There are at least 10 enquiries about the scheme at the Corporation main office every day,” said an official.

According to the official, individual plots are regularised after the Local Planning Authority approves the layouts. Layout approvals are granted after the owners or promoters comply with rules such as provision of open space reservation and relevant documents.

The Tiruchi Corporation had identified 354 unapproved layouts with about 21,000 plots in the city. A majority of these plots, about 15,000, were situated in unapproved layouts in the newly added wards of 61 to 65. The five new wards were created following the merger of Tiruverumbur town panchayat and Pappakurichi, Ellakudi, Keezha Kalkandarkottai and Alathur panchayats, all in the eastern suburbs, with the Corporation following the delimitation exercise in 2010.

With the State government extending the deadline for the scheme till November 3, the Corporation has decided to conduct special camps to receive applications in Golden Rock and Ariyamangalam zones, where the maximum number of unapproved layouts are situated.

On June 18 and 19

A press release from the civic body said the camp would be held at Bharath Mahal in Sakthi Nagar on Thanjavur Highway in Golden Rock Zone on June 19 and at the office of the Junior Engineer, Ariyamangalam, on June 18 and 19. Promoters or owners can submit the documents and arrangements have been made to upload their applications online during the camps. Failure to get approvals would lead to problems in getting building plan approvals, power and water connections, the Corporation has warned.

Though it was launched a year ago, the scheme gathered steam only in the last two-three months. One of the reasons for the poor response to the scheme was the high development charge of Rs. 500 a sq.m., besides the regularisation charge of Rs. 100 a sq.m. Besides, prospective applicants also demurred at the rules stipulated for getting the layouts and plots approved.

Noor Mohamed, former president, CREDAI, Tiruchi, said that there was not much awareness among property owners about the regularisation scheme. “Plot owners are also not aware of the consequences they will have to face if they do not get the layouts/plots approved. Hence the Corporation should step up publicity,” he said.

Source