Adopt GHMC rules, Secunderabad Cantonment Board told

Hyderabad: While welcoming Secunderabad Cantonment Board’s (SCB) efforts to revise the eight-decade-old building by-laws, the builders’ fraternity in Hyderabad is circumspect in its reaction. 

The reason being similar efforts in the past had hit a stumbling block with the defence ministry officials not conceding to proposals sent by SCB. Will the proposal to revise the by-laws get cleared this time is a big question.

Kanday Ramesh of Vasavi Developers felt that relaxations like exempting stilt and parking areas from floor area calculations would bring a lot of relief to residents and property owners. 

Mr Ramesh stated that he had submitted a report to the previous CEO Sujata Gupta detailing the builders’ perspective with special focus on the modifications they desire in residential, group housing, in different categories of commercial constructions etc.

“Cantonment Board members have been pursuing this issue continuously for the last few years and sending it to New Delhi. The file is getting stuck there and not moving any further. It will be great if MP Malla Reddy could pursue the matter with defence officials in New Delhi and make it a reality,” the builder stressed.

C. Shekar Reddy, former national president of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India, felt it was time the SCB modified its decades- old-laws to suit present needs and requirements and thus be part of the city development. 

He felt building laws in the cantonment, except for small areas in airport and firing zones, could be identical to laws implemented in GHMC limits.

“The Cantonment has a good number of vacant spaces. In line with the Prime Minister’s slogan of ‘Housing for All’ by 2022, even Secunderabad Cantonment could come forward and contribute to this mission by tweaking its laws. 

“From national builder’s forum side, we would like to reach out to higher ups in New Delhi on modification of building by-laws in SCB,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ajay Kumar, ex-director general of Defence Estates in New Delhi, emphasised on similar building laws in the Cantonment and the nearest civic body in its proximity. 

Ajay Kumar was very instrumental in SCB’s floor space index getting increased from 0.5 to 1.5 in 2002.