Bengaluru: Akrama-Sakrama deadline to be extended by a year?

Bengaluru: The government is likely to extend the Akrama-Sakrama scheme deadline by one year to benefit building plan by-law violators. Earlier, the cut off date to qualify for the Sakrama scheme was October 10, 2013 and it is likely to be extended by one year.

Close on the heels of the High Court giving the green signal to implement the scheme by quashing a set of Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the state government is contemplating on extending the deadline. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has planned to convene a meeting with officials of the town planning department and BBMP.

Lakhs of unauthorised construction have come up across the state after October 10, 2013. Increasing the cut off date by one year will fetch more revenue to not just to the BBMP but also to other corporations across the state, officials said.

The new notification extending the deadline is expected to be issued in the next one week. Later, rules will be framed within 30 days to implement the project. 

The rules will explain on the quantum of fee or penalty to be paid. The scheme proposes regularisation of unauthorised construction up to 25% deviations and FAR violations for commercial structures and up to 50% deviations and FAR violations for residential structures.

Applications for the Sakrama scheme will be accepted from January end and will carry on for about a year. 

The Citizens’ Action Forum, however, has said that it will challenge the scheme to fix responsibility on erring officials.