Development authority to raze 1,650 illegal buildings

27/05/2107

PUNE: The Pune Metropolitan Regional Authority (PMRDA) has intensified the demolition drive of illegal buildings in the areas under its jurisdiction.

PMRDA chief Kiran Gitte said the authority has listed 1,650 structures that cannot be regularized. These will be pulled down in the next six months under the supervision of the police officers who are part of the anti-encroachment cell of the PMRDA.

The PMRDA initiate the demolition drive on Thursday. As per the list of illegal buildings provided to the agency by the district collectorate, there were as many as 16,000 such structures in the areas under its jurisdiction.

The number, however, came down to 1,650 after the state assembly cleared an amendment to the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act. After the amendment, the government can levy a premium or a compounding fee on residents and owners of unauthorised structures built before December 2015.

"The owners have already been served notices and as per the rules, these structures will be pulled down," PMRDA officials said. The private agency appointed for carrying out the demolition drive will be paid Rs 570/sqm. The amount will be reclaimed from the owner later, Gitte said. As per the amendment, the illegal structures constructed before December 2015 will be tagged as a compounded structure after paying the premium and the list for such structures too will be readied, the officials said.

With environment clearances taking between 200-400 days, the PMRDA has announced to set up an environment cell that will start appraisal of projects as per the guidelines and parameters set by the ministry of environment and forests and the state urban department

PMRDA chief Kiran Gitte said MoEF had sanctioned the amendment for incorporating integration of environment condition in the building byelaws on December 9, 2016. The conditions basically enforces adoption of green norms for all buildings and constructions having built up area from 5,000sqm to 1,50,000sqm in the DC rules. The state had asked local authorities to form environment cells thereafter.