The Cabinet on Wednesday formulated an Ordinance to amend the Kerala Municipality Act and the Panchayat Raj Act, to introduce a self-certification system for construction of houses below 300 square metre of area.
As per the amendment, the owner can get an empanelled engineer or architect to certify that the construction of the house below 300 square metre of area will be carried out within the stipulated rules. Once this self-certification and plan is submitted to the local body, the local body secretary has to provide an acknowledgement within five days, which can be considered as the building permit to begin the construction work. The Hindu had in October last year reported on these proposed amendments.
The amendment will be applicable to residential houses below 300 square metres with up to two storeys and a height of seven metres, as well as for buildings housing hostels, orphanages, dormitories, old-age homes, seminaries or buildings for religious purposes below 200 square metres with up to two storeys and a height of seven metres. It will also be applicable to commercial buildings and non-hazardous industrial buildings below 100 square metres with up to two storeys and a height of seven metres.
Penalty
In case the information provided by the owner is found to be false, there is provision to impose fine and to cancel the licence. The fine amount for buildings up to 100 square metre area is ₹2 lakh, that for buildings up to 200 square metre area is ₹4 lakh and that for buildings up to 300 square metre area is ₹6 lakh.
Quicker decision
The Cabinet also decided to reduce the maximum time allowed for the local body secretary to take a decision on a building permit application from 30 days to 15 days from the date of receipt of application.
