Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

BPS: building owners in city remain in confusion

HYDERABAD: Five days to go for the much debated Building Penalisation Scheme (BPS) to down shutters.

And even while municipal personnel are going round twin cities issuing notices – verbal and written to building owners, there is still some confusion.

Many building owners who have not applied for regularisation till date and wanted to make use of the latest simplified procedure were in for a shock.

All constructions built under the common building rules (G.O. 86), which came into vogue in March 2006, are not eligible for applying under the Compulsory Disclosure Scheme (CDS) of which BPS is a part.

That makes the future of all such constructions quite uncertain, especially when they have deviated from the sanctioned building plan.

“We are aware of the issue and in fact, wanted to bring such constructions too under CDS but after much debate it was dropped because of legal issues that could arise,” said a senior official.

Unfortunately, many house owners have little or no idea if their construction was built under G.0.86 or the earlier existing GOs like 423 by which building permissions could have been taken.

Municipal officials have clarified that there is no blanket ban on buildings built after 2006 to be eligible for BPS and only those built after taking permissions under G.O. 86 cannot apply while other constructions can do so.

To further complicate matters, the subject does not figure anywhere in the information booklet-cum-application form issued to the applicants for BPS!

So, is there is a way out for owners of buildings constructed under G.O. 86?

The option as of now is to declare the entire property as an unauthorised construction and pay the prescribed penal fee accordingly, more than what one could have bargained for.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu