GUWAHATI: The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has written to the state government for modification of bye-laws, informed sources.
“Currently there are a few errors in the building bye-laws and there is a need for some modifications too. For this, the GMDA has written to the state government and the modifications would be done shortly,” a senior official informed G Plus on the condition of anonymity.
The demand for modifications in the building bye-laws has been a long-standing one in the state from the real-estate developers.
Further, in the same vein chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on October 9, directed the Guwahati Development Department (GDD) to prepare a contemporary set of building bye-laws within October 31 in order to boost the real estate sector.
Sonowal also asked the authorities to take measures to speed up the process of construction under the affordable housing scheme.
Building by-laws are a set of norms set by the authorities for construction of buildings which mention its various requirements. The regulatory authorities grant permission for building plan only when the by-laws are adhered to.
As per the current by-laws, there is a time limit set for issuing building permit. The by-laws mention: “Application for Planning Permit shall be disposed of within a period of 30 days from the date of receipt of the application. Application for Building Permit shall be disposed of within a period of 45 days from the date of receipt of Planning Permit.”
However, the builders complained of a tedious process of obtaining approvals from authorities.
“Assam is the only state in India which is operating with an outdated multiple window building by-laws where applicants have to run from table to table and from office to office for months, sometimes years on end, for approval,” said PK Sharma, President, AREIDA (Assam Real Estate and Infrastructure Developers’ Association).
He further added that the central government had formulated the Model Building By-Laws 2016 in a bid to promote ease-of-doing business, promote the real estate and the housing sector and to eliminate corruption. It mandates single window, time bound approvals and accountability of officials. Further, all states were to amend their building by laws accordingly. However, the by-laws remained unchanged in Assam.
“The main issue in Assam is that the building by-laws are not yet corrected and there are 28 errors. This is why most of the builders are not taking up new projects and the ones which are ongoing are the earlier projects,” said Debajit Borah, a Guwahati-based builder.