Journalism of Courage
Details of builders and illegal structures in the fringe areas surrounding the municipal corporation limits will soon be put up on a website to maintain transparency and accountability.
With the recent building collapse of a five storeyed structure at Narhe which killed one, the district administration has decided to tread cautiously and put up all the details on a website which will be in public domain as well as initiate action in a phase-wise manner.
At a meeting convened under the district collector Saurabh Rao it was decided that information regarding illegal constructions in the 38 villages in the fringe areas should first be collated and classified and the list should be readied within a fortnight.
The check list would include permissions for plinth checking, permissions on the number of floors to be constructed, status of completion certificates of these constructions, blue print and any changes will all be put on the website. “We have thought of putting up the same on the website to ensure more transparency as well as accountability of the builders and structural engineers for the project,” said officials from the department.
The Pitaram complex collapsed in the wee hours of Friday which killed one and residents have had a narrow escape. The district administration had filed an FIR against the builder and the structural engineer for poor quality of construction as well as not taking the permission as well as violating rules of constructing an extra floor. The administration is also planning to use the expertise of the builders association as well as the College of Engineering, Pune.
Additional collector Pradip Patil said that for conducting the checks the administration will ready a format to collect information on illegal structures. The team comprising three to four officers from the revenue department, town planning office and structural engineer from the administration side will fan out in the coming days to ready the detailed report. The authorities have also mentioned that if any citizen complains about substandard material used in the construction then the same would be assessed and notice will be served on the builders.
