Nellore Municipal Corporation facing hurdles to curb illegal buildings

Nellore: Political influences as well as protection to builders have been preventing Nellore Municipal Corporation (NMC) from containing large-scale violations in construction of buildings and complexes, be they commercial or residential, within the city. The surge in irregularities in the fast growing study has been enhanced with shortage of staff in the town planning department and corruption among the officials assigned with checking this activity.

Officials turn a blind eye 'for obvious reasons' even when Kalyana Mandapams and shopping complexes are being built right under their noses without parking space. As per the rules, the town planning wing needs to serve show-cause notices within a week seeking reply for constructing buildings against approved plan or adding unauthorised constructions. In case of 'no reply', the department is supposed to serve another notice giving 24 hours time and go ahead with demolition in case there is no reaction from the violators. There is hardly any such action seen anywhere.

Even a major drive to demolish unauthorised constructions without provisions for parking and leaving setbacks as per the building guidelines in June last year was suspended after razing some 20 illegal structures. Tisa was seen to be the result of wide political pressures from ruling party leaders. Incidentally, taskforce teams from the municipal administration and urban development identified serious irregularities and launched the drive at the instance of the minister concerned, P. Narayana.

In fact, he placed seven town planning officials under suspension after the taskforce teams identified serious lapses in sanction of permission to 300 odd buildings then. Deputy Town Planning Officer T. Suraj Kumar attributed the violations to online sanction of plans. He said taking action against illegal structures was part of their work but lion share of their time is spent on dealing with official work and public grievances beside court cases.

He pointed out that the posts of nine town planning building overseers, one town planning officer, two assistant city planner and one tracer have been lying vacant and lamented over the staff strength remaining the same even though the city area has extended from 50 sq.km to 149 sq.km now. Commissioner of the civic body S. Dilli Rao said post-verification has become difficult because of online permissions but assured to stop work wherever setbacks and parking spaces are ignored.