Freedom from bureaucracy! BBMP set to do away with Commencement Certificates

The BBMP will do away with issuing Commencement Certificates (CC) to stop inconveniencing property owners. A proposal to this effect awaits the state government’s approval.

Many consider the reform as necessary, though some buyers insist that CCs should be mandatory for commercial buildings and apartments up for sale.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) drafted the proposal to discontinue CCs last week based on Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s instructions. The Chief Minister thinks that one more certificate to begin construction is not required after the BBMP’s approval of the sanction plan.

“We have sent the proposal along with a reference to the relevant sections of the BBMP building byelaws. CCs were introduced to stop setback violations at the beginning of the construction work. Some are opposed to this, citing too many regulations for the construction of buildings. The government will take a suitable call,” a senior BBMP official said.

BBMP Building Bye-Laws, 2003, had mandated CCs for all buildings, including individual houses. But a majority of them, except the ones coming under the purview of the Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), skip the process since BBMP officials do not insist on it.

The proposal to discontinue CCs has been considered for two reasons, said Rakesh Singh, Additional Chief Secretary at the Urban Development Department. “This is to save one more visit to the BBMP office once the building plan is approved,” he said, pointing out that CCs has been creating more hardships for people. “Issuing the certificate is also not serving any purpose.”

Hailing the proposal, RTI Study Centre’s trustee B H Veeresh said 99% of the buildings do not take the certificate. “The process is meaningless,” he said.

“Getting a building plan approval is tedious and time-consuming. When the BBMP approves the building plan, why does it need one more certificate to allow the commencement of work?”

Documents must for commercial projects

M S Shankar, general secretary of Forum for People’s Collective Efforts, believes Commencement Certificates (CC) should be mandatory for commercial projects up for sale.

“CCs are issued once the plinth-level construction is inspected by the BBMP officials. If any changes are needed, it is easy to modify it at the beginning of the construction,” he said.

A BBMP official said CCs find no mention in the BBMP Act or the Karnataka Municipal Act.

“Do you need a hall entry pass once you buy a movie ticket?” he asked, adding that the CCs were introduced in the byelaws to fleece people.

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