Govt withdraws order for safety certificates

Succumbing to pressure by the MCD, the government has decided to recall its order of making structural safety certificate mandatory for registering sale of properties in Delhi.

Succumbing to pressure by the MCD, the government has decided to recall its order of making structural safety certificate mandatory for registering sale of properties in Delhi.

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Senior Delhi government officials said the proposal has been sent to the lieutenant governor's office to reconsider the March 30 decision.

According to the order, the stamp of a structural engineer certifying that the building changing hands is "structurally safe" was mandatory. Officials said the order would be revoked as soon as the L-G signs it.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday asked the government to withdraw the order, as it does not have the infrastructure to issue certificates.

MCD standing committee chairman Yogender Chandolia had said they did not have engineers to give structural safety certificates.

The standing committee had passed a resolution in this regard on Monday.

In the aftermath of Lalita Park disaster in east Delhi last year, where an illegal building collapsed claiming more than 70 lives and injuring more than 100 people, the Delhi government had decided to make it mandatory for all property deals to have safety certificates and had ordered the MCD to ensure it.

Though the MCD initially empanelled a few structure engineers, it later expressed its inability to meet city requirements where 500-600 property deeds are registered every day. The number of registration of properties also came down to an average of 5-6 per day.

A senior Delhi government official said the issue was discussed "unofficially" in the Cabinet meeting on April 3 and the chief secretary was asked to "sort out" the matter.

"It was a catch 22 situation for us. On one hand we cannot compromise on safety and lives of people and on the other we cannot let them face inconvenience. We have thus decided to recall the order for the time being," a senior Delhi government official said requesting anonymity.