Open House: What steps should Chandigarh Admn take to check illegal gates in rear boundary walls of houses?

The Estate Office should constitute a joint committee and survey all houses and issue show-cause notices to close the rear gates. In government houses, the Administration should itself remove these gates without fail to maintain the beauty of Chandigarh. Heavy penalty should be imposed on the owners of private houses violating the rules or their power and water connections should be snapped. Public awareness on the violation should be raised by way of advertisements, camps and messages.

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Kirpal Singh, Chandigarh

Conduct survey to spot violations

The UT Administration should conduct a comprehensive survey to identify properties with illegal rear gates followed by strict enforcement of building bylaws. Notices should be issued to violators and a deadline set for compliance. Failure to adhere should result in penalty and even sealing of the unauthorised gate.

Gaganpreet Singh, Mohali

Launch public awareness drive

The UT Administration can check unauthorised rear boundary gates with a two-pronged approach. First, it should launch a public awareness campaign highlighting security benefits of well-maintained front entrances and the dangers of unauthorised access points. Second, incentivise compliance by offering rebates on property tax or discounts on building permits for those who remove the rear gates. This combination of education and incentive can encourage residents to embrace safer practices.

Amanjot Kaur, Mohali

Allow rear gates if area kept clean

Residents should be permitted to open such gates on a condition that they will be responsible for cleanliness in the area. Challans should be issued to those violating the rider. With this, the Administration will be saved from maintaining the open street areas. However, the gates opening towards parks may be banned. The Administration should amend the rules likewise of banning gates opening to government land. The opening of back gates in the streets of Sectors 15, 22, 23, etc, will entail solution to the problem of water stagnation and garbage. Thus, allowing opening of gates will prove to be a win-win situation for both residents and the Administration.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

Impose hefty penalty on violators

The UT Administration should impose heavy fine for violations, conduct regular inspections and mandate the removal of unauthorised gates. Launching a public awareness campaign about building bylaws coupled with a helpline for reporting violations can ensure compliance. Collaborating with local RWAs to check violations can create a community-driven approach to uphold regulations.

Sahibpreet Singh, Mohali

Publicise permitted gate locations

To address the issue of gates on rear boundary walls violating building bylaws, the UT Administration can launch awareness campaigns to inform homeowners about building regulations and the importance of compliance. Provide clear guidelines on permissible gate designs and locations. Regular inspections by building authorities can identify violations promptly. Violators should be fined.

Sargunpreet Kaur, Mohali

Illegal entries a security hazard

To breach the rear boundary by installing a gate is not only a violation, but a security hazard too. This violation must be stopped. The violators be given a notice to remove these gates and raise a wall. Those not adhering to the bylaws should face action in the form of snapping of electricity and water connections. Unauthorised gates in the backyards of government and private houses also deface the City Beautiful.

Capt Amar Jeet, Kharar

Time, needs changed, allow rear gates

Bylaws made in the past had their significance. However, with the growing population, time and needs of populace, the bylaw for gates on the rear boundary walls should be amended. Gates should be allowed while making provisions for the safety and security of the citizens and the escalating requirements of growing population.

Parisha Khatri, Chandigarh

Seal unauthorised backdoor entries

The UT Administration should simply seal the illegal backdoors and add the expenses in the water bills of the houses where the violation was detected.

Dr Sandeep, Chandigarh

Rope in RWAs to check violation

To stop backdoor entries in houses, regulations need to be strengthened with high penalties and regular inspection by enforcement officials. The responsibility may also be given to residents’ welfare associations, which should report such violations to the department concerned. Public should also be educated about the safety aspects in case of such constructions.

Harinder Singh Bhalla, Chandigarh

Need to intensify enforcement

To address the issue of unauthorised gates in boundary walls, the UT Administration should conduct awareness campaigns, hold regular inspections, issue notices and impose fine, involve community organisations, strengthen enforcement, review bylaws, hold public meetings and collaborate with the local police to ensure compliance and maintain urban standards.

Prithvee Yakhmi

Gates Pose potential danger to cyclists

Since these are violation of building bylaws, it should be dealt with laws of the land. Installing gates in houses having cycle tracks outside the rear boundary wall pose a potential danger to cyclists and hence, cannot be allowed. Give a seven-day notice to the house owner to remove it. If not done, the Administration should get it removed and recover the demolition cost from the house owner concerned. Small gates opening to park and back gullies may be considered and regularised by charging compounding fees.

Vijay Shukla, Chandigarh

Issue notice, follow up with action

Many private and government houses have gates on their rear boundary walls in different sectors, which is in violation of building bylaws. The UT Administration should take necessary steps to address the issue. There is a need to take strict action against violators. A notice must be sent to the violator of giving building bylaws a go-by before taking any action.

Adish Sood, Amloh

Violators, officials hand in glove

Occupants of private and government houses having gates installed in the rear boundary walls apparently do not care about the rules. Their defiance evolves from the nexus they have with officials. The illegal link should be broken and the rule of law enforced without discrimination.

MR Bhateja, Nayagaon

No harm if they maintain cleanliness

The residents of houses having rear gates opening to streets should be allowed the relaxation provided they park their vehicles only in the rear courtyard and maintain cleanliness, leaving enough space for pedestrians. This will ensure tidy look to the streets behind such houses, which otherwise remain neglected and see dumping of garbage, attracting stray animals.

Surinder Paul Wadhwa, Mohali

Fault lies with UT Administration

Rear gates in the houses is violation of building bylaws. Fault lies with UT officials responsible for checking such violations. The Administration should impose a hefty penalty on those in the possession of such houses and remove the illegally installed gates. Moreover, violation in government houses just cannot be tolerated. What example do government staff is setting for people if they themselves are at fault? The government should demolish the rear gates.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Close rear gates if used to run biz

The rear gates of houses if used for running business should be closed. However, these should be allowed if meant for personal use like keeping two-wheelers, moving furniture or heavy items from or to the house. No extra construction should be allowed outside the gate.

Tanjeet

Time to do away with rear gates

In good old times, when the population as well as the number of two and four-wheelers were less, many residents of the City Beautiful used to have rear gates in their houses. Since with the passage of time all above things have increased manifold, so the question of having a rear gate in a house doesn’t arise. Since rear gates pose a threat to the lives of cyclists as well as rickshaw-pullers, these should be closed immediately without fail as nothing is more important than a human life. Last but not the least, the UT Administration must sensitise people to not having any rear gate in their house for their own as well as cycle track or road users’ safety.

Savita Kuthiala

Admn inaction smacks of tacit consent

Many houses have made internal modifications and additions. The UT Administration silence over the decades is taken as tacit consent and the volume of political repercussions forbid mass action of demolition. Nonetheless, to maintain uniformity and safety, unauthorised gates in outer walls need to be removed after a stern public notice for self-compliance before penal action.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

Treat violation of bylaws as offence

Building bylaws are for the safety and security of public. Any deviation/departure, even having gate in the rear boundary wall, would tantamount to an offence, as residents, through such access, resort to encroach upon the public land. In many cases of rear gates opening to neighbourhood parks, residents have created personal enclosures in utter disregard to the sanctitity of the public park. Therefore, residents who have back boundary wall gates, be served notice to close down such accesses within a timeframe, failing which such gates be removed and the cost recovered from the violator. Punitive action must be taken against habitual offenders.

SS Arora, Mohali

Show no leniency towards violators

Rear boundary walls of many private and government houses have gates. This is in clear violation of the building bylaws in Chandigarh. The UT Administration should keep a track of such violations and take action against the violators on its own. The RWAs and residents can also help the Administration by giving information about violations. A dedicated phone number for lodging violation complaints should be issued and publicised.

Dr Rajeev Kumar, Chandigarh

Involvement of officials apparent

Many houses have rear gates against the CHB norms. At some places, these gates open on to a main road and become a potential cause of road accident. These gates cannot continue without the involvement and information of CHB officials. Building bylaws cannot be bypassed without approval or illegality. Action must be initiated against the violators.

Wg Cdr JS Minhas (retd), Mohali

Carry out survey, remove violations

Installing a gate in the rear boundary wall is a violation of law. It is not only a security threat, but also acts as a hindrance to service lanes. The authorities concerned must carry out a survey and close such illegal openings by issuing a notice to all violators followed by corrective action. In most cases, culprits are government officials, who don’t care two hoots about the law. Rules should be same across the board.

Col KJ Singh (retd)

Violations galore in northern sectors

Most of these unauthorised entries from the rear of the houses are found in northern sectors. The UT Administration should put residents of these houses on notice and ask them to remove the rear gates.

Sukhwant Bhullar, Chandigarh

Educate people, challan offenders

The UT Administration should address this problem of rear gates in a three-pronged manner. Firstly, it must educate people to discourage the use of the rear gate in daily routine as it weakens the security set-up of their houses to a large extent. Secondly, it must publicly announce a timeline, say two weeks, to dismantle the gates. Thirdly, after the lapse of a fortnight, the authorities should start sealing the gates and imposing challans on the violators. This will also act as a deterrent for others and ensure respect for the building bylaws.

Brig Advitya Madan, Chandigarh

Start drive against illegal rear gates

The authorities concerned must start a drive against illegal entry/exit gates made by residents on the backside of their houses adjacent to roads. Notices should be served on violators, giving them time to remove the violation. Failure to do so should entail snapping of water connection.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

Rear gates unsafe, spoil aesthetics

It is unsafe and unaesthetic to have an opening in the backyard, towards a main road. The owners must be told sternly and firm action be initiated in case of defiance. They must know that it is not safe for them and public as most of these gates open towards cycle tracks. A sudden opening of gate can cause an accident. Moreover, these gates break the symmetry of the wall along cycle tracks. Action should be taken against the house owner who does not permanently close the gate even after warning.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma

Take stern action against violators

The rear gate may be a violation of building bylaw, but it’s helpful. However, a violation has to be corrected. The government should identify such violations and direct the owner of the house to remove them within a fixed timeframe. It should take stern action against those who don’t heed the direction. Occupants of some houses have maintained gardens behind the rear gate, yet another violation.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

Nip such violations in the bud

The recent instances of many private and government houses having gates on their rear boundary walls is a flagrant violation of building bylaws. In fact, officials of the Administration are aware of all such encroachments, but keep their eyes shut for obvious reasons or till media highlight these violations. The authorities concerned should be vigilant all the time and any sign of initial encroachment should be removed immediately. These private gates should immediately be closed with strict warning and penalty so as to act as a deterrent.

Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, New Chandigarh

QUESTION for next week

What steps should the Chandigarh Administration take to resolve the long-pending issue of conversion of leasehold industrial and commercial properties into freehold units? Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs turned down the proposal of the Administration in this regard.

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to openhouse@tribunemail.com