The Chennai Corporation and the CMDA want a new authority to prevent unauthorized development.

The Forecast 2 years ago Tamil Nadu

Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) have requested permission from the state government to form a high-level committee to monitor illegal projects in the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA).The committee, chaired by the corporation commissioner and comprised of CMDA officials and the Directorate of Town and Country Planning, will be formed in accordance with the High Court bench of justices D Krishnakumar and P Dhanabal's directives.According to sources, this would give the commissioner authority to oversee even unlawful high-rise constructions that fall under the jurisdiction of the CMDA.On June 14, the Madras High Court voiced its displeasure that, despite various orders, no concrete measures to remove unauthorised buildings had been adopted. The court also informed the corporation commissioner that there are four major types of unauthorised constructions: illegal and unauthorised constructions, buildings with more floors than permitted, permission obtained for residential but used for commercial purposes, and deviated constructions.However, this calls into question the fate of the special task force, which was formed in response to a G.O. issued on December 17, 2018. Official sources said the fate of the special task force would be decided by the housing department. This could bring in contradictions, said a former planner on condition of anonymity. He also said that unauthorised constructions should be monitored zone-wise or division-wise using the manpower of the corporation rather than in an unorganised way as is done by using limited manpower of CMDA.Earlier, a monitoring committee was set up by the Madras High Court to oversee the legalisation of unauthorised buildings built before February 2, 1999, under Section 113 A. While the entire process is being scrutinised, the monitoring committee is struggling to find relevance under Section 113-C, a new scheme giving amnesty to violators who have constructed buildings before 2007.