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Unauthorised flats face action in Ghaziabad
An ongoing survey of group housing projects conducted by the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has found violation of building norms in around 2,000 flats. Peeyush Khandelwal reports.
An ongoing survey of group housing projects conducted by the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has found violation of building norms in around 2,000 flats.
The survey to detect violation of building norms, which the GDA initiated in the first week of May, is almost three-fourths complete.
Besides levying heavy penalty for flouting rules, the authority is contemplating action against former officials who overlooked such violations.
Authority officials on condition of anonymity said 2,000 flats in various areas of Ghaziabad were constructed beyond permissible limits.
The figures exclude 170 flats in Nyay Khand area of Indirapuram against which the authority had issued a sealing order on May 19. Several GDA officials were earlier suspended for overlooking deviations in building plans.
GDA officials said an internal committee would study the cases individually and also suggest future course of action.
Senior GDA officials hinted that care would be taken not to jeopardise the interests of the buyers. "We are studying each case and trying to figure out the type of violation. Those that can be regularised within the sanctioned framework will be spared. We will send a report to state officials and will ensure that violators are penalised as a deterrent," said vice-chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav.
Yadav said that a report would be sent on former officials who allowed mushrooming of such flats.
GDA sources said that it was the discretion of the authority to grant purchasable floor area ratio (FAR) to builders and this cannot be taken for granted as a matter of right.
But builders went overboard and started construction in anticipation of getting them regularised at a later stage.
Senior officials said revenues so earned from penalties would be invested in infrastructure projects. The authority is planning to take the help of satellite imaging system to check micro-level unauthorised construction in the city.
