CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Government has decided to go slow on building construction along the IT corridor.

A government source has told The Hindu that haphazard growth, especially the coming up of large-scale building projects and layouts along the IT corridor outside the CMDA-administered Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) boundary, has become a major concern.

It is now proposed that the sanction of building permission be stopped till such time a comprehensive framework is evolved.

The CMA boundary on the IT corridor ends at Semmancheri.

The source confirmed that the Government is also planning to impose an Impact Fee.

This steep charge will be in addition to the existing development charges.

Low charges

The Government feels that existing development charges are very low and cannot support the large infrastructure required to support development along the IT corridor.

It has taken a leaf out of the Andhra Pradesh regime, which hiked development charges to provide better infrastructure, and is considering differential development charges along the IT corridor.

Antiquated laws

The IT corridor stretch outside the CMA boundary comes under the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP). The antiquated laws of the DTCP are not equipped to deal with the rapid growth.

To add to the confusion, none of them is applicable in many of the IT corridor villages because they have not been declared Local Planning Area (LPA).

Rules inadequate

The DTCP rules apply only in the areas declared as LPA. In other cases, the local body rules prevail. These rules are inadequate to regulate the development witnessed on the ground.

Though the DTCP insists that the approvals of large-scale development even in non-LPAs seek their approval, they are seldom followed.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail