CHENNAI: Availing water and electricity connections, less cumbersome for ordinary buildings in Chennai, will soon become tougher thanks to a circular dated February 16, by the member secretary of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority. Based on the circular, Chennai corporation has adopted a resolution under which normal buildings that has four kitchens will now have to avail building completion certificates to get their utility connections(water, sewer and power).
A copy of the resolution and a note prepared by the civic body to all the 15 executive engineers available with DC instructed affixing seal on site plan in regard to building completion certificates. The new rule will now come into effect from February and the engineers should now look out for buildings with four dwelling units and above. “There are several houses in Chennai where the construction is restricted to second floor with four potions and now this order will be a trouble even for small buildings and without the completion seal, utilities cannot be availed”, explained a corporation engineer. “Small dwelling units termed ordinary buildings were usually exempted as these are budget houses but now the property owners have to grease the palms of babus one more time”, said a realtor attached to Credai seeking anonymity. The overall sale of flats has come down in Chennai and for every three months new notifications and rules are imposed.
This has added to the woes of common man wanting to buying a house. At the same time there is no such stringent rules for commercial buildings in T Nagar, the realtor added. However, a senior official with the local administration ministry justified the new rule, as it would help the engineers to check that there are no plan violations within Chennai.
