The civic body commissioner warns of strict action against erring builders

Hyderabad: To speed up the regularisation process under Building Penalisation scheme (BPS) and Layout Regularisation scheme (LRS), the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is all set to go online. Applications can be submitted by logging on to GHMC official website www.ghmc.gov.in.

Speaking to the media, GHMC Commissioner B Janardhan Reddy said the corporation had been receiving applications from October 28 and would stop it by January first week. He said the GHMC would finish the BPS and LRS by May 2015.

Janardhan Reddy stated that the unapproved layouts and buildings constructed before October 28 would be eligible for LRS and BPS for regularisation. The unauthorised buildings which are deviated from sanctioned plan made after October 28 would not be regularised and stringent enforcement measures including demolition would be taken up, he added.

Janardhan Reddy further said that the civic body would use satellite images to verify whether the construction was made prior to the mentioned date. He also warned the citizens that there would be severe consequences if the unauthorised layouts or plots and buildings were not regularised within the stipulated time. Such unapproved layouts shall be recorded in the Prohibitory Register of the Registration Department and no sale/disposal or transactions shall be allowed in such sites.

Janardhan Reddy said the penalisation charges were fixed based on the plot area, use of the building, nature of violation and basing on the registration value of the site. He added that the penalisation charges are reduced for smaller plots. For the plots up to 100 square metres, the penalisation charges were reduced from Rs 20 to Rs 15 square feet and for slums charges were fixed Rs 5 per square feet, irrespective of the land value, he added.

Separate penalisation charges are fixed for apartments starting from Rs 12,500 to Rs 60,000 per flat based on plinth area. Commenting on the LRS penalisation charges, the commissioner said the charges would be based on plot areas and registration value of the land. Charges will be ranging from Rs 200 per square metre to Rs 750 per square metre.

In slums, the charges have been fixed to Rs 5 per square metre, irrespective of the plot area and the land value. In addition, if 10 percent open space is not available, prorate open space charges at the rate of 14 percent of the plot value prevailing as on date of registration of such plots would be charged, he added.

Janardhan Reddy made clear that the plots falling in the areas including FTL of lakes, Sikham lands, areas earmarked as industrial zone, recreational zone, water bodies, open spaces earmarked in the approved layout, areas covered under catchment area of Osmansagar and Himayathsagar lakes would not be regularised under LRS.

He also said that pending applications would also be considered subject to payment of balance fee. There were as many as 35,000 LRS and 4,000 BPS applications pending currently, he said.