COIMBATORE: Opposition parties in the Coimbatore Corporation have demanded that action be taken against building rule violation in commercial complexes where the public gather in large numbers.

Their target is mainly the structures that have denied parking space in multi-storeyed buildings and forced formation of parking lots on busy roads. Interestingly, the demand for action and a threat to observe fast against any inaction have come amid apprehensions of regularisation of these structures. While the Opposition has taken up this issue, reflecting the concern of the public at large, the Corporation is also assessing the situation across the city and identifying cases of violation.

When the Government announced a regularisation scheme in 2002, the Opposition and consumer welfare organisations cautioned it against letting off unauthorised structures in commercial complexes with just a one-time penalty. They felt that the regularisation charge only amounted to legalising violation.

Besides structures that occupied the space originally earmarked for vehicle parking, consumer bodies demanded demolition of those that went against public safety in the buildings. For instance, shops in basements did not have a fire escape and the basements themselves were shown as parking space in the building plan.

Approval for building plan is given only if parking space is earmarked. It had been found that many commercial complexes, including multi-storeyed departmental stores with hundreds of people shopping at a given time, obtained the approval and then built shops in the space meant for parking.

"This problem can be solved if the Corporation adds the word `unauthorised' to its dictionary," says the secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, K. Kathirmathiyon. At present, these structures are treated as "100 per cent deviation".

Structures identified

The Local Planning Authority had identified such structures in 32 buildings in 2003 and issued notices for demolition. "But, in the meanwhile, the Corporation levied a meagre penalty and the structures still remain. The civic body should see the difference between plan deviation and totally unauthorised structures to end the violation," he says.

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