JOIN USSakrama sop ahead of civic poll
To facilitate the promulgation of the ordinance, the Cabinet asked Governor H R Bhardwaj to prorogue the legislature, which he obliged.
The ordinance seeking to amend relevant sections of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1961 will be sent for Governor’s assent on Wednesday. It remains to be seen if the Governor clears the amended legislation. It is clear that the government is in a hurry to put the scheme in place before the model code of conduct for the BBMP polls comes into effect on January 15. But the government has the arduous task of convincing the Governor on why it is bypassing a debate in the legislature and taking the ordinance route on an important issue as legalising illegalities.
In February 2008, during the President’s rule, the State Executive Committee headed by then Governor Rameshwar Thakur had approved a major cut in the regularisation fee for small sites. However, the High Court ordered a review of the scheme and extension of the deadline. The ruling dispensation then deferred the scheme.
The Cabinet, last month, decided that the scheme would cover illegal constructions and unauthorised sites and layouts that have come up till December 3. The Congress has opposed the scheme on the ground that it is unscientific and will benefit only the builders.
The scheme will provide a one-time opportunity for an estimated seven lakh building/site by-law violators in Bangalore and another five lakh violators in other urban pockets to regularise their properties. The penalty for violation of building by-laws and unauthorised structures on revenue sites would range from Rs 5,000 to Rs 2.10 lakh.
The penalties have also been reduced from 15 per cent of the guidance value of the properties to six per cent for residences and eight per cent for commercial properties. However, there is a cap on regularising violations — up to 50 per cent for residences and 25 per cent for commercial.
DH News Service
It’s wooing time
*Scheme applicable in all
*rban areas in State (BBMP, corporations, CMCs, TMCs, TPs
*Penalty rates applicable under the earlier scheme slashed by nearly 50 per cent
*Three months’ time likely for for filing applications
*A 5 % concession for ‘early birds’