Visakhapatnam: About 60 per cent of the applications filed under the Building Penalisation Scheme (BPS) introduced to bring unauthorised constructions in Vizag into the planning fold, have been processed as of Monday. The figure may cross 70 per cent mark before the closure of application processing on December 31, according to estimates. The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) started inviting applications from May 2015 with about 13,286 applications received under the scheme till January 31, 2016.
About 7,858 applications have been completely processed as of Monday while 5,393 are in different stages of processing. Some of the applicants are still to pay penalty based on the extent of violated area while some applicants have not produced necessary documents. About 35 applications were rejected on different grounds. If all the constructions (except those rejected) are regularised, it would fetch about Rs 76 crore to the GVMC. According to the insiders, the internal proceedings of the applications may continue even after the deadline of December 31. These include applications which were pending but the required documents have been submitted and the penalties paid.
Due to the initial lukewarm response as well as confusion over online submission of applications, the Department of Municipal Administration extended the last date three times – from July 27, 2015 to October 30 to December 31 to January 31, 2016.
Similar has been the scene with regard to processing of applications where the last date was extended three times – from September 30 to October 31 to November 30 to December 31. The applications were received only through online mode. The urban local body gave the responsibility of uploading the required documents to the licensed technical persons.
Speaking to this newspaper, GVMC deputy city planner, B. Suresh Kumar, said that the constructions falling in the road widening portion were not considered for the BPS. “The remaining portion, however, was eligible for penalisation after handing over the affected portion to the Urban Local Body. We had given information to the applicants who did not produce all the required documents or did not pay the penalty to utilise the opportunity. Constructions on government lands, parking areas and CRZ zone were also denied,” Mr Suresh Kumar added.
