Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Directive likely to issue door numbers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government is likely to issue a directive to local self-government institutions soon for issuing door number and completion certificate to buildings which have secured construction permit according to the provisions of the Kerala Municipal Building Rules, 1999.

There were complaints that certain civic bodies were denying door number and completion certificate to buildings which have got permit as per the rules then and completed after the new rules came into force in 2010, on the grounds that the rules under which they got the permit have become outdated.

Directive sought

Chief Town Planner (CTP) Eapen Varughese is understood to have taken up the issue with the Local Administration Department and sought to issue a directive to the civic chiefs to consider such cases at the earliest.

The CTP said the issue had cropped up as the civic bodies were interpreting the old and new building rules in their own way mindless of the provisions included in the rules to ease the woes of the public.

There was no hindrance at present for issuing occupancy certificate for buildings which had been completed on the strength of valid construction permits.

Though the amended rules came into force in 2010, they were not applicable to buildings which were given permission before the new rules had been implemented. The validity of a permit which was issued prior to the amendment could be renewed twice, each for a period of three years.

The government had received a number of requests seeking urgent departmental intervention to clear the impasse over issuing door numbers.

Residential apartments, hotels, commercial complexes, and hospital buildings were awaiting clearance of the civic bodies.

Shortage of raw materials, mainly sand, paucity of funds, and the economic slowdown were some of the factors which delayed the completion of buildings.

Corrupt practices

The complaints had also brought to the fore the corrupt practices which were rampant in the civic bodies in issuing permits and completion certificates.

Clearances were denied on flimsy grounds, often overlooking the provisions incorporated in the benefit of the applicants.

The ambiguity over interpreting the rules was expected to be cleared on issuing the directive, sources said.

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