MANGALORE: The Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) has been directed by the State Chief Secretary not to allow builders to flout the National Building Code (NBC).

The directive, which came from the office of Chief Secretary B.K. Das a few days ago, will enable the corporation to insist on adherence to the NBC while issuing licences to builders.

According to corporation Commissioner P. Chandrappa, the directive states: "The Government does not see any reason why Mangalore should be given the advantage of sidelining the NBC when all cities in the State are scrupulously following the NBC... " High-rise buildings having four storeys should have adequate safety facilities in accordance with the Fire Department norms.

The area under the corporation has seen a spurt in the growth of high-rise buildings. The directive states that licences have been given to builders without verifying if they have obtained a no objection certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department, and this is a clear deviation of rules.

When this issue was contested by the builders lobby in Mangalore at a meeting with the Chief Secretary in Bangalore, builders were informed that if they failed to get the NOC from the Fire Department as is required by the NBC, their buildings will be deemed unauthorised and may be pulled down if such a direction is issued either by the State Government or by the corporation.

Following the meeting and the directive from the Chief Secretary, Mr. Chandrappa has appealed to people to check their property papers.

The corporation has stopped issuing licences to buildings who do not have the NOC from the Fire Department, Mr. Chandrappa added.

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