Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Building permits: circular issued

Thiruvananthapuram: The State government has come out with a circular to remove the lack of clarity on the issue of building licences by the panchayats.

Local Self-Government Minister Paloli Mohamed Kutty said here on Tuesday that the circular had been issued mainly to bring to an end the misinterpretation of the provision which demanded the production of documents relating to ownership of land. Many panchayat secretaries were found to be causing difficulties to the applicants and delaying permits even after relevant documents were produced.

The circular gave more clarity to, among other things, the question of ownership.

Through the circular, the government asked the panchayats to take steps if the document and tax receipt on the land were produced. If the land had “patta,” its copy should be considered a document of ownership. Licence could be issued on the basis of possession documents also. But in such cases, an undertaking should be given by the person in whose possession the land was. He should agree not to transfer the land or raise any claim over the land or the building on it in future and surrender the land without demanding any compensation if the government wanted it or if it was required for any development activity.

Possession certificates were not necessary for clearing constructions by tribal people on their traditional land.

The panchayats should issue licence for the construction of buildings with a plinth area of up to 150 sq. m on the same day of submission of application. For buildings bigger than that, the licence should be issued within 30 days.

The government also asked the panchayats not to make the building rules applicable to those of which the construction began before June 6 or completed before that date. It was from that day that the building rules were made applicable to the panchayats also.

The panchayats were asked to bring shortcomings, if any, in the application to the applicant’s attention and get them rectified. On no account should the issue of licence be delayed beyond 30 days in the case of applications which were in order. The Minister warned of action against the secretaries if there was any lapse on their part.

If the panchayat secretary did not convey his decision on the application within 30 days of its submission, the applicant could go ahead with the construction observing section 15(2) of the building rules. If such constructions were later found to be against the rules, the responsibility would lie on the secretary who delayed the decision on the application.

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

Stories in this Section

The Greek ‘tragedy’
Three of a family found dead
Agricultural fete from December 24
Halt for trains
Notice to panchayat
Employees’ protest
Early salary
Act sternly, TDB chief told
Holiday declared
More Sabarimala special trains
Building permits: circular issued
Stress on small power projects, says Balan
Leeds Technologies opens office in Technopark
Kathakali fete to begin on December 19
Farm festival
Charge against KSEB officials
Congress gearing up for stir
Steps taken to check price rise
Child dies after falling into water pit
Citizens take to the streets
Health officials fix reviews

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu