<p>Bengaluru: The Greater <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/bengaluru">Bengaluru</a> Authority's proposal to increase the permissible deviation in building sanctioned plans from 5% to 15% has drawn criticism from experts, while bringing relief to thousands of residents.</p>.<p>Well-placed sources said nearly 1.2 lakh property owners who were stuck without power and water connections due to a lack of Occupancy Certificates (OCs) can now get relief as the norms have been relaxed.</p>.<p>"There are more than 3.5 lakh such properties that have violated building bylaws and have been denied OCs. Of them, 40% to 45% can now get OCs as their violations are below 15%, but above 5%," sources said.</p>.<p>Many residents told DH that the move had brought a sense of relief.</p>.<p>"It has been almost a year since we finished construction of our house and have been waiting to move in. However, the Supreme Court ruling and the decision to not provide water and power connections had stalled our plans. Now, with the relaxation of norms, we can get an OC and both power and water connections," said Raghav R, a resident of JP Nagar.</p>.<p>Similar was the thinking of many others who were awaiting some form of relief from the government.</p>.<p>However, the decision has drawn criticism from experts and activists who said it was disincentivising honest, law-abiding citizens.</p>.<p>"If I have followed all the bylaws and my neighbour does not, he is still allowed to go ahead. If such is the case, why would people follow the norms? With such violations, many houses lose ventilation and access to clean air. Such decisions directly affect the quality of life," said Kathyayini Chamaraj, activist and executive trustee of CIVIC-Bangalore.</p>.Karnataka govt increases deviation threshold of building plans from 5% to 15% in Bengaluru.<p>An urban planner said the civic body should not acknowledge such violations as it would only set a wrong precedent.</p>.<p>Many activists and urban planners are of the opinion that the new regulations were introduced only to increase the revenue of city corporations and were unacceptable.</p>.<p>"This is like acknowledging the violations and formalising them. This only encourages people to commit more violations. The decision seems to have been taken solely to increase the revenue of the corporations," the urban planner said.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Greater <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/bengaluru">Bengaluru</a> Authority's proposal to increase the permissible deviation in building sanctioned plans from 5% to 15% has drawn criticism from experts, while bringing relief to thousands of residents.</p>.<p>Well-placed sources said nearly 1.2 lakh property owners who were stuck without power and water connections due to a lack of Occupancy Certificates (OCs) can now get relief as the norms have been relaxed.</p>.<p>"There are more than 3.5 lakh such properties that have violated building bylaws and have been denied OCs. Of them, 40% to 45% can now get OCs as their violations are below 15%, but above 5%," sources said.</p>.<p>Many residents told DH that the move had brought a sense of relief.</p>.<p>"It has been almost a year since we finished construction of our house and have been waiting to move in. However, the Supreme Court ruling and the decision to not provide water and power connections had stalled our plans. Now, with the relaxation of norms, we can get an OC and both power and water connections," said Raghav R, a resident of JP Nagar.</p>.<p>Similar was the thinking of many others who were awaiting some form of relief from the government.</p>.<p>However, the decision has drawn criticism from experts and activists who said it was disincentivising honest, law-abiding citizens.</p>.<p>"If I have followed all the bylaws and my neighbour does not, he is still allowed to go ahead. If such is the case, why would people follow the norms? With such violations, many houses lose ventilation and access to clean air. Such decisions directly affect the quality of life," said Kathyayini Chamaraj, activist and executive trustee of CIVIC-Bangalore.</p>.Karnataka govt increases deviation threshold of building plans from 5% to 15% in Bengaluru.<p>An urban planner said the civic body should not acknowledge such violations as it would only set a wrong precedent.</p>.<p>Many activists and urban planners are of the opinion that the new regulations were introduced only to increase the revenue of city corporations and were unacceptable.</p>.<p>"This is like acknowledging the violations and formalising them. This only encourages people to commit more violations. The decision seems to have been taken solely to increase the revenue of the corporations," the urban planner said.</p>