Following the newly framed rules as per the provision of the KMC Act, the person will need to deposit 50% of the calculated amount of fees and charges for retention of unauthorized construction prior to placing the matter before the special officer for hearing.
The hearing officer may pass an order for retention of the structure in question or may ask for its demolition, depending on the size and nature of the construction, said a KMC building department official.
This is for the first time that the civic body is recognizing the need for the retention of such structures, which are permissible under the civic body’s building rules, and at the same time, raising revenue from the regularization drive.
Whatever may be the case, the applicant will need to pay the security deposit in advance, which will get adjusted after the completion of the hearing, said a KMC official. According to rules, if the hearing officer orders the demolition of a certain structure, the KMC building department officials will ask the owner to pull it down on his own.
“If the owner refuses to arrange for a demolition, we will send our demolition team but the charges for such demolition will be deducted from the security deposit and the balance, if any, will be refunded to the owner,” said a civic official. If the hearing officer orders for the retention of the structure, the KMC building department will deduct the retention fees from the security deposit, the official added.
According to a KMC building department official, the matter was decided by the civic brass to discourage illegal construction and at the same time, to earn revenue from the structures that can be retained, according to the KMC building rules.
The matter was discussed at a mayor-in-council meeting on January 21 and a resolution was passed unanimously. “The matter was brought to the MIC after mayor Firhad Hakim duly approved the change in the civic policy,” said a civic official.
