New Chennai Silks building concerns T Nagar residents

CHENNAI: The T Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association has raised concerns over the new Chennai Silks building which is coming up on Usman Road. The association has alleged that the management has not displayed the planning permission and floor plans at the construction site, an association release said.

Citing the recommendations of Justice R Regupathi Commission, which was constituted after the Moulivakkam building collapse,  the association has demanded that CMDA closely monitor the construction. (A big portion of the original silk showroom building crashed following a fire last year.)

The commission made out a strong case for an onsite CMDA officer to monitor progress of the construction and ensuring rules are not violated. Irrespective of whether CMDA has taken the suggestions or not, the association says it is supposed to regularly check if the construction is done according to the permission plans.

In view of the fact that this building will be frequented by shoppers, public safety and security becomes  all the more essential, the release said. When Express contacted a CMDA official, he said the display of planning permissions and floor plans could be ensured with the help of Greater  Chennai Corporation.
“It is the Public Works Department’s structural engineering department which is supposed to conduct checks as construction progresses,” said a top CMDA official, when asked whether the CMDA has been conducting regular site checks.

“We are just a planning and development body. We cannot check every high rise coming up in the city,” he said.