Consider violations as need-based changes: Coordination panel to Chandigarh

Chandigarh, April 20

Representatives of the Chandigarh Coordination Committee, a joint forum of over 20 associations of traders, industrialists and RWAs, raised their concerns regarding the proposed amendment to the Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act, 1952, with Deputy Commissioner-cum-Estate Officer Vinay Pratap Singh at a meeting here today.

The UT Administration had issued a public notice on April 7 for inviting objections/suggestions of the general public regarding the proposed amendments to the Act. The time for giving objections/suggestions was extended till May 6.

Major demands

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• Consider violations as need-based changes
• Drop all cases since 2007
• Consider internal changes within building line as need-based changes
• Reduce upper cap on penalty, daily fine

In a bid to explain the proposed amendments, a meeting was held by the Estate Officer with representatives of city associations. At the meeting, the representatives submitted that violations should be considered as need-based changes. They also stated that all cases against building owners since 2007 till date should be dropped. Besides, they also submitted that internal changes within the building line should be considered as need-based changes, and there should be an upper cap on the penalty; the daily fine should be reduced and should be according to the size of the property and violation.

The Estate Officer explained the proposed amendments and highlighted that Rs. 2 lakh and Rs. 8,000, which have been kept as fines were the upper limits and these fines would be imposed depending upon the category of building and the area under violation/misuse.

A cap in the fine has been introduced for the first time – equivalent to 20 per cent of the value of the property on the request of various associations.

He further highlighted that after these amendments were approved by Parliament, the rules in this regard would be framed by the UT Administration in which the category of buildings and the area under violation/misuse would be kept in mind. These rules would be finalised after inviting claims/objections from the general public.

Rejecting the proposed exorbitant penalty, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal president Charanjiv Singh demanded the setting aside of the proposed exorbitant penalty charges and issuance of a notification allowing need-based changes regarding use of commercial building and internal changes as per new business trends-cum-needs of today to reduce incidents of violation and misuse.

City Aam Aadmi Party president Prem Garg demanded that need-based changes be allowed in residential properties within zoning plans. He said before imposing any penalty, the Administration should be flexible to the changing needs of people and therefore, age-old rules and regulations for buildings should be done away with and new rules for defining building violations specified, which should not be like a “watertight compartment”.

AL Aggarwal, president, Chandigarh Industrial Fasteners Association, requested the Administrator to consider the implementation of the Finance Department notification issued on February 25, 2019, to industrial units, which are already facing building violation cases since 2010.