Chennai: Complaints on unauthorised constructions ignored

Chennai: House owners and association members of Besant Nagar have complained to the Chief Minister’s Cell of tenants making unauthorised constructions and ignoring legal orders to vacate the premises. They accusing the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), Chennai Corporation and other government bodies of ignoring their complaints.

Ms Shanthi Krishnan, general secretary of the Kalakshetra Colony Residents Association in Besant Nagar, wrote to the Chief Minister's Cell after the Corporation and the CMDA regarding unauthorised constructions in the locality.

“I have been writing to the CMDA and the Corporation to adhere to the CMDA land use plan and, as Kalakshera Colony is a primary residential Area, to seal the offenders’ premises immediately,” she wrote, naming nine unauthorised commercial establishments.

“Nobody replies during regular days. Now that the elections are coming up, they have an excuse to ignore our pleas,” Ms Shanthi told Deccan Chronicle.

Rukmini Street in Kalakshetra Colony is brimming with commercial establishments. “There is a doctor who lives here and runs a clinic. That is acceptable as long as it is within his house, but why does he need a pharmacy? The doctor says the pharmacy has medicines he prescribes. Can't he just keep them in the house then, Ms Shanthi Krishnan asked.

“There are at least four preschools. There is also an organic store whose owner wields some political power and so nobody asks them,” she said.

Although the rent control law has been updated recently, there is no legislation that protects landlords. “The law is often used to bully the landlord through the controller who will take the tenants' side unless he is paid a hefty bribe. This usually applies only if there is subletting, altering or defaulting of rent,” says an expert of town planning.

Mr V. Natarajan, a homeowner on Rukmini Street, said his tenant, J. Prabhakar, had sublet his house for the last five years for a playschool. “I rented the upper portion of my house in 2011 for residential use, which is specified in the lease deed. In 2013, the ground floor and mezzanine of the building too were rented out to them. The lease was made in the name of Prabhakar's wife Sionapriscilla. In 2014, when we happened to pass by our house, we were shocked to see a preschool board,” Mr Natarajan said.

After this, Mr Natarajan said, he sent several letters and notices were sent to tenants to vacate the premises. “Nothing has happened. Now, for the last four months, we are receiving separate demand drafts from the owner of the preschool as rent. First of all, she is not my tenant, why should I accept it? Secondly, if I accept it, I accept them as my tenant, which I will not,” he said

The lessees in 2014 had promised that they would stop the functioning of the school but have been unable to, Mr Natarajan said.

According to Ms Krishnan, the building was declared illegal by the court but was not sealed by the Corporation. “They say that they will take action after the end of March as immediate action will affect the schoolkids. This would have been acceptable if the school did not put up boards and stickers declaring that admission was open for the next year,” she said.

According to an employee of the school, the school was licensed and functioning with required permission. “The school has been verified and authorised by the authorities after inspection. They would not give us a proper licence if it wasn't in accordance,” she said. The owners were unavailable for comment.

Ms Krishnan said a building had been converted into a 'cottage industry'. “But no manufacturing takes place there,” she said. “There is an apartment complex which has been converted into a marriage hall, causing severe nuisance day and night.”

Authorities pay no need to the complaint, Ms Krishanan said. “They act like they will do it that very instant. 'We are coming now madam, we will take care of it,' they'll say, but nobody does anything.”

She said construction work has destroyed many other structures. “Many of our rainwater harvesting pits have been clogged because of construction work, nobody listens to our complaints,” Ms Shanthi Krishnan said.