Will the SC ruling serve warning bell to MCC?
The Supreme Court ruling on commercial establishments flouting zonal regulations, and its clear cut instructions to the Delhi Municipal corporation and the union government, should motivate all state governments to chalk out a definite and clear cut policy of initiating ation against illegal constructions in all towns and cities.
There is an urgent need on the part of the state government to immediately identify the cities having corporation rules and take steps to free the roads and footpaths from encroachments without any delay. The government should also be committed towards mercilessly razing to the gound all constructions that have come up sans any clearance.
Tbough the government has set up town planning authorities in prominent cities ,the tragedy is that these authorities have restricted themselves merely to the setting up of new layouts. These authorities have evenbecome toothless tigers sans any power to act independently and to put a brake to the haphazard construction of buildings by flouting all rules. In other words, the authorities have become mere show pieces. Even the corporations on their part turn blind eye to the illegal constructions and commercial establishments as if it was a matter not concerning them. This attitude in turn has led to an anarchy like situation in our cities.
Take the case of Mangalore itself. Here there is the town planning authority and also a city corporation. But ,even then there has been open flouting of zonal regulations with commercial establishments coming up in residential areas, right under the nose of the authority. As if this is not suffice, some buildings are raised sans any licence, while some others though have secured licence, forget the rules while constructing the building. But, the criminal negligence of the corporation to this flouting of rule, has done nothing but laid a red carpet for these unscrupulous builders.
In some cases, the corporation itself has shamelessly colluded with tbe builders who lack conscience.
When the state government had a year ago directed the MCC against permitting multi-storied constructions violating the national building bye-laws, a delegation of builders led by none other than the erstwhile mayor Ashraf had been to Bangalore to lobby for the builders. Can any discerning citizen tolerate such classic case of the fence grazing the crop ? But it has happened in case of Mangalore.
The lady mayor who has been recently elected has less than a year of tenure left. Therefore what is expected of her now is to chalk out clear-cut guidelines on the illegal construction issue.The corporation should pass a resolution in this regard and also see to it that the decision is strictly implemented.
Even the state government has a special responsibility in this regard. It should now set a deadline for all corporations to clear footpaths and roadsides of encroachments and illegal constructions. In order to achieve this enedeavour it should appoint honest and daring officers a commissioners for the corporations and see to it that its orders are strictly enforced. The commissioner should not be the one who bows to the dictates of the mayor and corporators. The commissioner should be empowered to such an extent that he need not wait for a council resolution before going in for eviction drive. Had Mangalore had such a powerful commissioner, then the city would not have been a witness to so many illegal constructions.
The Supreme Court ruling seems to have awakened the Bangalore city corporation from slumber as is evident from the eviction drive launched there. Now, there is no room for the Mangalore city corporation to lag behind in this direction.
There is an urgent need on the part of the state government to immediately identify the cities having corporation rules and take steps to free the roads and footpaths from encroachments without any delay. The government should also be committed towards mercilessly razing to the gound all constructions that have come up sans any clearance.
Tbough the government has set up town planning authorities in prominent cities ,the tragedy is that these authorities have restricted themselves merely to the setting up of new layouts. These authorities have evenbecome toothless tigers sans any power to act independently and to put a brake to the haphazard construction of buildings by flouting all rules. In other words, the authorities have become mere show pieces. Even the corporations on their part turn blind eye to the illegal constructions and commercial establishments as if it was a matter not concerning them. This attitude in turn has led to an anarchy like situation in our cities.
Take the case of Mangalore itself. Here there is the town planning authority and also a city corporation. But ,even then there has been open flouting of zonal regulations with commercial establishments coming up in residential areas, right under the nose of the authority. As if this is not suffice, some buildings are raised sans any licence, while some others though have secured licence, forget the rules while constructing the building. But, the criminal negligence of the corporation to this flouting of rule, has done nothing but laid a red carpet for these unscrupulous builders.
In some cases, the corporation itself has shamelessly colluded with tbe builders who lack conscience.
When the state government had a year ago directed the MCC against permitting multi-storied constructions violating the national building bye-laws, a delegation of builders led by none other than the erstwhile mayor Ashraf had been to Bangalore to lobby for the builders. Can any discerning citizen tolerate such classic case of the fence grazing the crop ? But it has happened in case of Mangalore.
The lady mayor who has been recently elected has less than a year of tenure left. Therefore what is expected of her now is to chalk out clear-cut guidelines on the illegal construction issue.The corporation should pass a resolution in this regard and also see to it that the decision is strictly implemented.
Even the state government has a special responsibility in this regard. It should now set a deadline for all corporations to clear footpaths and roadsides of encroachments and illegal constructions. In order to achieve this enedeavour it should appoint honest and daring officers a commissioners for the corporations and see to it that its orders are strictly enforced. The commissioner should not be the one who bows to the dictates of the mayor and corporators. The commissioner should be empowered to such an extent that he need not wait for a council resolution before going in for eviction drive. Had Mangalore had such a powerful commissioner, then the city would not have been a witness to so many illegal constructions.
The Supreme Court ruling seems to have awakened the Bangalore city corporation from slumber as is evident from the eviction drive launched there. Now, there is no room for the Mangalore city corporation to lag behind in this direction.
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