Date:01/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/01/stories/2008020154470600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Compulsory Disclosure Scheme: A.P. reduces penal fee

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Bowing to pressure from various political parties, the Andhra Pradesh Government on Thursday reduced the penal fee under the Compulsory Disclosure Scheme to regularise illegal structures in municipalities across the State.

At the instance of Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, it modified the earlier scheme and reduced the penalty for regularisation by an average of 25 to 40 per cent.

The penalty for regularisation has now been fixed based on land value. As such, different rates will be collected depending on the city, locality, type of use of the property as against the uniform rates across the board proposed earlier.

Addressing a press conference, Municipal Administration Minister K. Ranga Rao said illegal RCC structures raised over 100 square metre plots with ground floor plus one would be exempted from penalty while a 50 per cent concession would be allowed for structures built in notified slums. A 25 per cent concession had been allowed in respect of structures built prior to 1998.

S. P. Singh, principal secretary, Municipal Administration, said the higher penalties already paid by the house owners would be refunded.

The reduced penalty rates under the new scheme are such that the beneficiary needs to pay only Rs. 75,000 for regularisation of a flat of 1,000 sq. ft. plinth area in areas such as Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad as against Rs. 1 lakh earlier. This will work out to Rs. 62,000 in areas such as Amberpet, and Rs. 45,000 in other areas, says K. Dhananjay Reddy, additional commissioner, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Rates would be less for flats of 600 sq ft and below. The changes also provided for reduced rates for structures and layouts used for domestic purpose and collection of higher penalty if used as commercial establishment. In case of constructions within the “building line” of the major roads with width 80 ft and above, in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, the regularisation would be allowed only if the owners gave an undertaking that they would surrender the land free of cost as and when required.