New Municipal Act imposes tough rules for layout approvals

Hyderabad: From now onwards, the developers coming up with layouts should submit online application along with the self certification and should register all the roads and open spaces in the layout in favour of municipality, which will be pre-condition to be eligible to get the final layout approval, according to the new Municipal Act.

Based on self certification, the approved layout plan should be processed and approved by the layout approval committee, which would be headed by the District Collector.

The developer of occupiers of all unapproved or unauthorised layouts, as on the date of enforcement of the Act, should apply to the municipal commissioner within a year and should cause or carry out necessary development within the specified time period as prescribed. Failure to comply this would make these layouts unauthorised.

Any transaction involving land earmarked for public purpose would be illegal and any developer claims or sells such land would be penalised and punished including imprisonment of three years.

Government would constitute special task force at district level to take action against unauthorised layouts.

For the plot size upto 75 sq meters and the construction of ground or ground plus one floor would not require any permission. The applicant, however, should register online with a token amount of Rs 1 and duly self certify about plot size, floors.

The onus to ensure authenticity of self-certification and compliance with self-certification lies with the applicant who should be held personally accountable.

The developer has to give undertaking that in case of deviation the authorities can take up demolition without issuing of notices.

If construction of building does not start or completed within specified time even after giving permission, the permission gets cancelled, reads the Municipal Act.

The applicant should handover 10 per cent of built up area on the ground floor or first floor or second floor to the municipality by way of mortgage.

The individual residential buildings in plots upto 200 sq meters with a height of seven meters are exempted from this.

All the existing commercial or institutional or school buildings or hostels or public places such as hotels, temples, religious places, hospitals or theatres should self-certify fire safety and emergency exit plans within a year from introduction of the Act.

If failed to do so the authorities would declare the building unsafe, it stated.