Chennai: In a move to crack down on illegal structures in the city, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) on Monday sealed an unauthorised flat on a multistoreyed building in Kondithoppe near Wall Tax Road.
This is the second building being sealed after the amendment to the Town and Country Planning Act in November 2008, sources said.
Santha K Jain, the landowner, had obtained a plan permit to construct ‘ground-plus-one-floor’ on Ayalur Muthiah Mudali Street in Kondithoppe, according to official sources. However, the owner built another three floors, violating development control rules. The enforcement wing of the CMDA, it is claimed, had taken note of the violation and served a notice to the owner to stop construction last year.
Despite receiving the notice and, later, a notice for demolition, the property developer continued with the construction of additional storeys and subsequently rented out the built-up units to individuals. “We served another notice on Friday, giving them a 48-hour deadline to set things right. But the occupiers did not vacate the building. Hence, we have taken up sealing the flats one after the other,” said a senior CMDA official. The process was carried out with the help of local police.
The unforeseen development coming on the first day of the week left the residents in tears. “My father is a heart patient. Please do not carry out such operations, which will cause damage to his health,” a young tenant was seen pleading with an official. The authorities, however, gave up sealing in the afternoon after the landowner got a reprieve from the Madras high court. The court gave the residents one month’s time to vacate the premises.
Following the amendment to the Town and Country Planning Act, the CMDA and local bodies are empowered to seal unauthorised buildings constructed after July 27, 2007, instead of demolishing them. Two multistoreyed buildings in Irulappan Street and Vadamalaipillai Street in Sowcarpet were sealed in May by the CMDA. Till date, Chennai corporation (ground floor plus first storey comes under its purview) has not taken up a similar exercise since the amendment to the Act.
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