The scheme to regularise unauthorised buildings in Tamil Nadu will draw to a close on Thursday, with not many takers for it, as per a report by Yogesh Kabirdoss in The Times of India.
The long-winded process involving submission of multiple documents, high penalty and lack of awareness is said to be the reason why the scheme has elicited a lukewarm response.
Up till December 13, only 35 people have filed applications for regularisation, the report says.
Ramaprabhu, the honorary secretary of the Builders' Association of India's Southern Centre, Chennai, told ToI that the applicants need to furnish various documents including the structural stability certificate of the building, to enrol for the scheme.
He said that many structural engineers are not ready to issue stability certificates for used buildings, as in several cases, owners had constructed their houses without planning permission.
"Under such circumstances, they will not be able to produce a plan for their buildings," he said.
The state government had notified the rules on June 22, after which the building regularisation scheme was launched.
Following this, an exclusive portal was launched for people to file their applications online for the scheme which would end by December 21, the report says.
Buildings built prior to July 1, 2007, were eligible for relief.
Ramaprabhu added that the government should extend the period of the scheme since the rules of the scheme state that power and water supply could be disconnected for unauthorised buildings that do not apply for regularisation.
A department of housing and urban development official told ToI that that the scheme would be extended and an official announcement is expected soon.
In September this year, the Madras high court had barred authorities from taking any final decision on applications that were submitted seeking regularisation of unauthorised buildings in the state.
The first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar had said: "Applications for regularisation may be entertained and proceeded, but no final decision thereon shall be taken without the leave of the court."