Chennai: The state government has informed the Madras high court that it has created a post of additional secretary (technical) in housing and urban development to exclusively hear the appeals (filed by the builders), seeking exemption for the deviated portions of the buildings.
Additional advocate general produced a GO dated March 3, 2017, to this effect before a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G.Ramesh and Justice M.Sundar when a PIL from social activist Traffic Ramaswamy came up for hearing on Monday.
The bench posted to June 19, further hearing of the PIL, which sought a direction to the authorities to take action against unauthorized constructions in George Town area particularly in Sowcarpet and its vicinity.
Taking note of the data produced by the amicus curie advocate V.Suresh, in respect of the appeals relating to multi-storied buildings and ordinary buildings, the bench had on March 18 directed the state government to furnish a proposed structure as to how these appeals would be dealt with.
In the present G.O, Dharmendra Pratap Yadav, secretary to government, housing and urban development department, stated that taking into account the large number of appeals pending under the provisions of TN town and country planning Act, this court directed the government to create a post of Additional secretary exclusively to hear the appeals.
While examining the proposal for creating a post of Additional secretary to deal with appeals, the government also felt that the issues pertaining to planning and development were very technical in nature. Many of the proposals from the director of town and country planning and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority need scrutiny by a person well versed with rules, regulations and issues relating to urban development. Further expertise of a technical person was also essential for the government to initiate major policy measures in the field of urban development.
“Accordingly, the government create a post of Additional Secretary (Technical) to exclusively hear the appeals under sections 79, 80A and 113 (A) and any other appeal provisions arising in future under Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, to offer technical advice to secretary, Housing and Urban Development department on urban planning and development issues, and to examine proposals relating to urban planning received from CMDA and director of town and country planning and multistoried building proposals from CMDA, land reclassification proposals relating to carrying out variation in master plans of various planning authorities”, he added.
