Shimla: Pointing ambiguity in the recently amended Town and Country Planning Act, which is allowing to regularize illegally erected structure in the state, Shimla MC Mayor and Deputy Mayor has corresponded to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, demanding to regularize the houses constructed before 1994 in the merged areas and before 1979 in town and country planning (TCP) areas.
CPM leaders demanded that such houses should have been regularized on the basis of “as is where is” but amendments, which was brought to give relief to the affected people, creating ambiguity, uncertainty and reasons for people to not to apply for regularization of their houses under the amended provision. They said
“The spirit of this amendment is/was to regularize these houses built by the people through their hard-earned money. Precisely for this reason the gist of the amendment is for regularization in to on the basis of ‘as is where is’ however, a bare perusal at the amendment will show that the spirit behind it has been completely negated.”
They also raises question over the structural stability certificate and believe of creating complete chaos amongst affected people. They pleaded that it’s difficult for Structural Engineers to provide such certificate for the building which weren’t constructed under their supervision. CPM leaders questioned
“Sir, how it is possible for them (Structural Engineers) to hold the building structurally safe without supervising such constructions. It is completely erroneous to bring in such a provision, which will create more panic and chaos”
Sanjay Chauhan and Tikender Singh Chauhan claimed that structural stability certificate ‘if provided by any engineering’ will put unnecessary financial burden on house owners – which invariably defeats the spirit of the amendment.
