Date:02/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/02/stories/2007120250390100.htm

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Move to regularise illegal structures

Special Correspondent

Offer to be made through “Compulsory Disclosure Scheme”

HYDERABAD: Buildings constructed on unapproved and illegal layouts and the structures built in deviation of the approved layouts will now be regularised, though on payment of a heavy penalty in all the areas covered by urban development authorities in the State. A decision to offer this one-time facility to bring all unapproved layouts into the mainstream was taken by the Cabinet at a meeting here on Saturday. The offer will be made through a “Compulsory Disclosure Scheme”.

A notification will be issued shortly, calling applications from them in two months disclosing the details of the deviations.

The scheme is such that the entire process of regularisation will be completed in six months, Information Minister A. Ramanarayan Reddy and Municipal Administration Minister K. Ranga Rao, announced at a press-briefing later.

They said two ordinances would be promulgated shortly to amend the AP Urban Areas (Development) Act 1975 and the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act 1955 to implement the scheme.

S. P. Singh, principal secretary, Municipal Administration, said they had increased the penalty rates steeply as wanted by the High Court to serve as deterrent against illegal structures/layouts.

The rates suggested by the experts committee appointed by the Government at the instance of the court, did not satisfy the court.A higher penalty would be collected for regularisation in Greater Hyderabad, Greater Vijayawada and Greater Visakhapatnam, as compared to other cities and towns.

Penalty

In case of an illegal flat, the penalty would go up to Rs 80,000.

It would be Rs 60-200 per sq ft in case of residential buildings and Rs 200-600 per sq ft if it was used for commercial purpose.

The Ministers said those failing to respond would be prosecuted under various laws and the structures demolished, once the scheme came to a close.

They made it clear that illegal structures/layouts lying on government lands, masterplans, surplus lands, would not be regularised.

The ban would also apply to structures lying within Full Tank Level of Osmansagar and Himayatsagar in Hyderabad.