Date:18/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/18/stories/2008011857910100.htm

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Clearances: onus on penthouse owners

Flat owners can get occupancy certificate irrespective of the state of penthouse

HYDERABAD: It is the responsibility of penthouse owners alone to get clearances from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Fire Services Department under the Compulsory Disclosure Scheme (CDS) to regularise unauthorised structures.

Rest of the flat owners can well go ahead, pay the requisite penal amount and get an occupancy certificate regularising their property irrespective of the state of the penthouse, if there is any other deviation from the sanctioned plan, affirmed GHMC’s Chief City Planner (CCP) B. Purushothama Reddy.

Penthouse owners have to obtain ‘No Objection Certificates’ from AAI and Fire Services if the building height is more than 18 metres. There are about 2,000 penthouses, illegally built, without taking the requisite permission in the city; they are mostly owned either by the builder or sold to their favoured parties.

Penthouses or even an extra illegal floor can be regularised under CDS provided the building does not come under the airport funnel zone. The CCP has made it clear that there will be no change in the rule position even if the Shamshabad airport begins operations because there is no indication that the Begumpet airport would be shut down totally.

“We are willing to give clearance if owners show us proof of another building of an equal or lower height getting an NOC from AAI and this has to be outside the airport funnel zone,” he said. Mr. Reddy is also not too impressed with the rumblings over fire safety rules by the builders.

“There is not a single incident of fire in residential apartments here but we cannot compromise on issues of public safety,” he asserted. Besides, a high powered committee has come out with a set of rules (G.O. 154) simplifying fire safety regulations without insisting on the required setbacks for old buildings.

20,000 forms sold

In the last fortnight, GHMC had sold more than 20,000 CDS applications and cleared six including two illegal layouts and four buildings. A penal amount of Rs. 31 lakh was collected. The list of technical personnel qualified to help citizens fill CDS forms is to be made public and put up in the corporation website (http://ghmc.gov.in) soon.