Minutes of the 45th Meeting of the Monitoring Committee Held on 21.08.2012

What the minutes cover

The Monitoring Committee of CMDA recorded its 45th meeting held on 21 August 2012. The committee confirmed the minutes of its 44th meeting, recorded the action taken, reviewed enforcement responsibilities, discussed changes to the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971, and considered several building regularisation matters.

The document is a record of committee proceedings. Property owners should not treat the listed agenda items alone as proof that a particular building was regularised or approved.

Enforcement responsibilities

The Monitoring Committee recorded earlier decisions about action against unauthorised or deviated development:

• The Corporation of Chennai may undertake enforcement within Chennai city and maintain dedicated staff for that work.
• CMDA may undertake enforcement outside the city area within the CMA.
• Separate wings may be identified within the Enforcement Cell for completion certificates and enforcement action.
• The Corporation of Chennai and CMDA were directed to act and submit reports at the next committee meeting.
• The committee considered action against 53 unauthorised or deviated multi-storeyed commercial buildings identified by CMDA after 27 July 2007.
• Action concerning builders and officials responsible for failures to enforce planning laws was considered very slow and was to be expedited.

Ordinance and regularisation discussion

The Monitoring Committee discussed Tamil Nadu Ordinance No.6 of 2012, promulgated on 16 July 2012. Members were told that the newly inserted provision could cover buildings developed on or before 1 July 2007, subject to guidelines, rather than giving blanket relief.

The discussion identified possible limits and conditions, including:

• Floor space index violation not exceeding 50 per cent of the allowable limit.
• Road width violation not exceeding 20 per cent.
• Building activity conforming to land use zoning.
• Required parking being available within the premises or within 250 metres.
• Adequate fire safety measures.

The committee was also told that rules for the new provision had not come into force. Existing Building Regularisation Scheme applications remained limited to buildings completed on or before 28 February 1999.

Individual properties

The agenda listed residential, commercial, hotel and lodge buildings in areas including Alwarpet, Villivakkam, T. Nagar, Purasawalkam, Vepery, George Town, Besant Nagar, Vadapalani and Mylapore. Several matters involved rejected applications or appeals to the Government, but the supplied text does not state the final outcome of those individual cases.