Caring two hoots for norms!

Allahabad Development Authority appears to have finally decided to go against the High Court directive on parking and encroachment. Had it not been so, they would not have allowed SALASAR-the Mega store, inaugurated recently on SP Marg in Civil Lines to come up. The building housing the mega store defies not only the HC order but also the Urban Planning and Development Act 1973 and its amendment in 2000. The width of SP Marg in the Master Plan is 30 metres.

Allahabad Development Authority appears to have finally decided to go against the High Court directive on parking and encroachment. Had it not been so, they would not have allowed SALASAR-the Mega store, inaugurated recently on SP Marg in Civil Lines to come up.

HT Image

The building housing the mega store defies not only the HC order but also the Urban Planning and Development Act 1973 and its amendment in 2000.

The width of SP Marg in the Master Plan is 30 metres.

Going by this measurement any building which comes up on this road will have to spare a space of nine metres on its own land as front set-back. Six metres on both sides as side set-back and six metres in the rear as rear set-back. Besides this it is also imperative for the building to provide road widening space.

But this building fulfils none of the above norms.

The builder has gone to the extent of covering the front set-back in flagrant violation of building norms. Space meant for side set-back and rear set-back has also been covered. This also leaves no room for compounding in order to save ones skin, said a building inspector of ADA wishing anonymity.

Sources said, the building map shows space for parking. But there is no proper route leading to the basement where provision for parking is reported to have been made. Instead of parking a shop is operating from the basement. Route to another parking shown in the rear of the building is in fact the route to be used by another building owner living behind this building.

So, where is the actual parking located?

Besides there is no place for a vehicle to take a turn. Does it not defy the recent HC order which has directed the ADA to see that there is no impediment in the free flow of vehicles on important roads particularly the Mahatma Gandhi Marg and the SP Marg in Civil Lines.

In case the building map shows provision of parking which is physically non-existent as on this day does it not mean that the zonal officer, AE, JE, building inspector and the Town Planner have all connived with the builder to carry out the illegal constructions for obvious reasons.

Interestingly, ADA VC Rajaram Upadhyaya has announced to launch drive on this road on June 21 to check whether buildings were conforming to norms or not.
The ADA VC could not be contacted despite repeated efforts.