Withhold NOCs to layouts without basic facilities

Minister warns developers of action; asks officers to make a list of layouts granted NOCs

Mysore/Mysuru: Asking officers to take action against builders and developers who do not complete layouts and housing projects on time, Mysuru District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa directed the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) not to issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to such layouts and buildings until fundamental facilities are ensured.

Raising the issue at a meeting attended by elected representatives and officials at the Zilla Panchayat Hall yesterday, MLA G.T. Devegowda (GTD) said that many layouts have been developed without basic amenities in and around Mysuru while the developers have already taken full payment from the plot buyers.

“In my Chamundeshwari Constituency, there are over 300 layouts. People who have bought such plots and have constructed houses are suffering as their basic needs have not been fulfilled despite, they paying lakhs of rupees,” G.T. Devegowda said.

Responding to the MLA, Minister Mahadevappa expressed his dissatisfaction with the unchecked expansion of the city, particularly with regard to private layouts on the outskirts.

Minister warned the developers about the potential Government action against those who have developed layouts without providing essential facilities for the site buyers.

Presentation at KDP meeting

Questioning the rationale behind granting NOCs to private layouts by competent authorities when these layouts have failed to furnish adequate amenities for residents, Mahadevappa asked the officers to prepare a list of layouts that have been given NOCs without basic facilities and bring the issue to the KDP meeting in last week of August or the first week of September that will be chaired by Chief Minister Siddharamaiah.

He instructed officials to create a comprehensive list of issues sorted Department-wise that require Govt. attention. This list should also include the necessary funds to address the various civic challenges that have been affecting the city. Intention is to present this list to the CM, seeking funds as per priority.

At the meeting, a Coordination Committee, to be headed by the Deputy Commissioner (DC), was proposed comprising officials from various entities including MUDA, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), Minor Irrigation, Karnataka Urban Water Supply & Drainage Board (KUWSDB), Public Works Department (PWD) and Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC).

“This Committee must meet every three months to hold review meetings and discuss the resolution of civic matters, funding requirements for repairs and the rejuvenation of water bodies and underground drainage systems, repairing the storm water drains, revitalising the lakes, and strategies to prevent sewage pollution in water bodies and rivers,” Mahadevappa said.

A-Khata and B-Khata

GTD and Mayor Shivakumar appealed to the District Minister for State Government’s permission to Local Bodies to issue ‘B Khatas’ for revenue properties and houses constructed in Revenue Layouts, similar to the practices in Bengaluru.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has the system of ‘A Register’ and ‘B Register’ (A-Khata and B-Khata) for properties within Bengaluru city limits and for properties beyond the city limits. This initiative, they argued, would regularise houses in these layouts and contribute to increased Government revenue.

Sewage problem

MLA Tanveer Sait expressed concern over sewage water entering River Cauvery. He sought approval for a separate Sewage Treatment Plant with the capacity to manage 240 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of sewage generated in city. “Of the 240 MLD, 162 MLD comes to the Sewage Treatment Plant and the rest of the sewage enters Cauvery River and lakes through storm water drains and Rajakaluve,” he said providing statistics.

Krishnaraja MLA T.S. Srivatsa requested the Minister to repair all damaged roads in city before the upcoming Dasara festivities. Mahadevappa expressed his intention to embark on a city tour alongside MLAs to gain a firsthand understanding of the city’s challenges prior to the Dasara celebrations.

MLC Dr. D. Thimmaiah, DC Dr. K.V. Rajendra, City Police Commissioner Ramesh Banoth, MUDA Commissioner G.T. Dinesh Kumar and MCC Commissioner Ashaad-ur-Rahman Shariff were present.