Chennai: With the rising number of buildings in the city, the confusion between the zonal office and the regional-level enforcement cell that was exclusively created to monitor and curb unauthorised constructions, has affected the check on illegal constructions. There are incidences where officials pass the buck, saying that they did not seal the building. Interestingly, the notice pasted on these sealed buildings read ‘Chennai Corporation’.
The corporation created regional-level enforcement cell in all the three regions - north, central and south - to curb unauthorised constructions. Executive engineers of each cell should inspect the construction site and ensure follow-up action in the respective regions. They should also maintain a separate register for complaints and details of inspections. But the enforcement cell has just five persons, and this is not enough to monitor the construction sites of five zones under the region, which covers around 55 to 80 divisions, an official says.
He says that officials in the zonal office can monitor it easily, as they have a junior engineer for every division, who is well aware of that particular division. On the other hand, officials in the zonal offices say that work of monitoring unauthorised constructions has been entrusted with the regional enforcement cell since March 12, 2014. The zonal offices have already submitted documents they have been maintaining in connection with on-going construction and inspections, to the cell.
At present, engineers in the zonal offices are involved in the maintenance of hospitals, schools, streets, footpaths, removal of illegal hoardings, inspection of stormwater drains, preparing estimations for new drains, laying, re-laying and repairing roads, they add. They say that the enforcement cell has the power to issue a stop-work notice, seal the building and the regional deputy commissioner has the power to order demolition of the building.
While officials of some zones continue with monitoring of illegal constructions, a few zones reportedly have not done so for the past one year, bringing cheer to the violating builders.As the buildings were sealed without prior announcement about the date and timings, the owners are not aware of the officials who were present on the occasion and from which office they come from. The owner of one of the buildings at Vepery that was sealed recently says that he has no clue which official sealed it, as it was done early in the morning.
