Sakrama scheme finally gets nod

Extended till date; penalty rates slashed by nearly 50 per cent in all urban areas

 
The Cabinet accepted the report submitted by a sub-committee headed by Transport Minister R Ashok to extend the scheme to all illegal constructions and unauthorised sites and layouts that have come up till date (December 3, 2009). Earlier, the proposal was to impose a penalty and regularise illegal buildings that had come up till January 2007.

The sub-committee had also recommended slashing of penalty rates applicable under the earlier Akrama-Sakrama scheme by nearly 50 per cent. The same was also accepted by the Cabinet on Thursday.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Home Minister V S Acharya said the scheme will provide a one time opportunity for an estimated seven lakh building/site by-law violators in Bangalore alone besides, five lakh violators in other urban pockets across the state to regularise their properties.

Ashok said a gazette notification to implement the scheme will be issued within a week. Three-months time will be provided for filing applications.  A five per cent concession will be provided to ‘early birds’ who opt for the scheme. The government is planning to mobilise Rs 10,000 crore through the regularisation scheme.

All the recommendations of the sub-committee will come into effect once the scheme is gazetted by the government. The penalty for violations of building laws and unauthorised structures on revenue sites would range between Rs 5,000 (for minor violations) to Rs 2.10 lakh.

Penalty

The maximum penalty that the owner of a building on an unauthorised residential site measuring 20 X 30 feet will be Rs 45,000 (zone A) and Rs 30,000 for Zone B. For a owner of building on 30 X40 feet unauthorised site, the maximum penalty will be Rs 90,000 (zone A) and Rs 60,000 (for zone B). For a owner of a building on site measuring 40 X60 feet, the maximum penalty will be Rs 2.1 lakh (for zone A) and Rs 1.8 lakh (for zone B).

In other words, even if the penalty for total violation (layout, site and building) exceeds the cap, the applicant will have to pay only the maximum amount applicable. The zones are classified by jursdicational urban bodies based on the property value.

The penalties, which earlier had been fixed at 15 per cent of the guidance value of the properties, have now been reduced to six per cent for residential properties and eight percent for commercial properties.

However, there is a cap for maximum violation. For residential properties maximum violation that can be regularised is 50 per cent, while the cap for maximum violation that can be regularised for commercial properties is 25 per cent.

The scheme was first formulated during H D Kumaraswamy’s regime but could not be implemented following opposition from people over high penalty rates. The government has already amended the required legislations to make provisions to implement the scheme. Ashok said the scheme is only a one -time offer and further violation will not be regularised.

Highlights

* Cut off date for the scheme extended till date (Dec 3).

* Scheme applicable in all urban areas in State (BBMP, corporations, CMCs, TMCs, TPs)

* Penalty rates applicable under the earlier scheme slashed by nearly 50 per cent.

* Gazette notification to implement the scheme within a week.

* Three-months time will be provided for filing applications.

* A five- per cent concession for ‘early birds’

* Violation cannot be beyond 50 per cent for residential properties and 25 per cent for commercial properties