Two architects blacklisted for using fake photos to secure permits

The Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) on Thursday took action against two architects for attaching fake photographs to the files while applying for occupation certificates (OCs) for two different residential units in Sushant Lok-1.

DTCP officials said that a show cause notice was issued to the two architects to explain their position but no satisfactory reply was submitted, after which the department took action and blacklisted them. Last week, the district town planner had issued directions that OCs issued for private colonies from January 1 to March 31 should be scrutinised to ensure that there are no violations on the ground.

“The sites of these two houses in Sushant Lok-1 were checked and it was observed that actual position on the ground did not match with what was shown in the attached photographs. We had asked for explanation but didn’t get any response. So it was decided to blacklist the two architects,” RS Bhath, district town planner, said, adding that a process has been initiated to cancel the OCs.

Bhath said when inspection was conducted at a house in Sushant Lok-1, the junior engineer found that neither doors nor windows had been fixed in the building and some finishing works were still going on. “The photographs which were attached showed that marble had been laid on the floor, and kitchen had complete woodwork. But the work was still not finished,” he said.

The situation was similar in the second house in the same colony as fake photographs had been used to get occupation certificate under self-certification policy. “This is a violation of rules and this will not be allowed. All OCs are being scrutinised,” he said.

Last week, the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) had removed a junior engineer and issued a show cause notice to a sub-divisional engineer for submitting same pictures in two files of two different houses for getting occupation certificates.

First Published: Apr 12, 2019 01:14 IST