The three municipal corporation, North, South and East, are mulling a proposal to impose three times of electricity bill, water bill and property tax, as fine on illegal buildings in the city. According to commissioner of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) such a policy is need of the hour as the present fine for the violators of the building construction norms is too meager to pose a deterrent.
‘We are planning to adopt strict provisions that could prove deterrent to illegal constructions in the city by imposing heavy penalty. Presently, we have focused on two provisions – imposing penalty of three times of electricity bill, water bill and property tax or the owner will have to mortgage 25 per cent of the constructed part with the civic bodies as fine,’ said Sajjan Singh Yadav, Commissioner of EDMC.
‘The rule of imposing three times of electricity bill, water bill and property tax- as penalty, is implemented by Hyderabad Municiapal Corporation. We may adopt both the provisions or any one, depending on approval of the political wing,’ added Yadav. The new provisions require approval of respective standing committee, house and also Delhi government. ‘Since its inception, EDMC has sanctioned around 800 maps for building construction but only one person has applied for completion certificate and rest have violated the building norms and have occupied it illegally,’ added Yadav.
According to the provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, a person can occupy the building only after getting a proper completion certificate from local civic bodies. But, ironically, over 90 per cent of the buildings of EDMC do not have the mandatory completion certificate. Government buildings and commercial complexes are operating without completion certificates as well. ‘The number of buildings without completion certificate in North and South MCD is also more than 80 per cent,’ senior officers of South and North Delhi Municipal Corporations said.
EDMC is also comping up with a new people friendly building policy to simplify the procedure of sanctioning map and getting completion certificate. This is likely to placed in the next meeting of Standing Committee for consideration. ‘First, we want to make the process very simple and then impose heavy penalty to defaulters to curb illegal construction in the area,’ asserted Yadav.