GHMC has speeded up scrutiny of applications under the Building Regularisation Scheme (BRS), which had run into rough weather after its commencement in November 2015.
A public interest litigation was filed in the High Court by the Forum for Good Governance (FGG) challenging the scheme, which put the process of regularisation on hold. The High Court had already issued interim directions asking GHMC authorities to carry out the process of scrutinising the applications, and demolishing the structures pertaining to the rejected applications.
GHMC, which has been dragging its feet on the directions for four years, has suddenly gained speed in processing of the applications ahead of the announcement of corporation polls.
Several residents in the city who had applied for BRS have started getting notices about shortfalls and rejections.
“Quite a few residents of our colony have got notices about shortfalls. Some of the applications have been rejected, with a column mentioning regularisation fee, which is confusing,” informed P. Srinivas Murthy, a resident of Bandlaguda.
Officials attribute the alacrity to recent directions by the High Court reportedly to submit details of the scrutinised applications. The next hearing is reportedly scheduled for October 8, by when the officials will have to finish scrutiny of applications.
Sources on condition of anonymity attributed the same to the bounty it would bring to the fund-starved GHMC, beside the government’s aim to gain mileage in the upcoming GHMC elections. By conservative estimates, building regularisation is estimated to bring in a windfall of ₹1,000 crore to the corporation.
Two meetings have been already conducted at the highest bureaucratic level about the scheme, they say.
As per the official data, a total of 1.13 lakh applications for building regularisation have been pending with GHMC as of now. So far, rejection intimation has been sent with regard to 2,000 applications, while shortfall notices have been sent to 95,000 to 96,000 applicants. The remaining applications may be accepted as per the BRS norms.
Officials informed that applications are rejected owing to construction in government land, colony parks, open spaces, land without titles, and within the full tank level of water bodies, to name a few. While the High Court has asked the GHMC to go ahead with demolition of such buildings, officials say that the applicants still have a right to approach the appellate authority, which is a committee constituted by the government with member officials drawn from the Town Planning wing of GHMC and Municipal Administration department.
If the application is rejected even by the appellate authority, the final decision lies with the Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration, they say.