The illegal practice of realtors adding floors to high-rises anticipating post-construction permission from Pune Municipal Corporation is 'routine' in the city, thanks to mutual understanding between developers and civic body officials.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) can slap stop-work notice to developers adding floors when the sanction process for the revised plan is on. But the civic officials stressed that they did not have enough manpower to monitor each and every construction site.
A civic official admitted that the building permission department had just 30 people, burdened with responsibilities of checking constructions, replying to RTIs, sanctioning permissions and what not.
"With 30 people, we cannot keep watch on everything. Developers, architects and contractors are responsible for adding floors without permission. Every time one cannot blame PMC, handicapped without manpower," he said.
When asked why does a builder go ahead with the construction at a time when the sanction is under process, Jaiprakash P Shroff, the chairman of Kushal, said, "This question on timing is individualistic. The builder must wait for final permission. But sometimes it takes up to four months to get it. Sometimes the officer goes on leave and informs us that the permission will come through. So, the builder thinks since it is just a formality and within the rules, there is no harm in going ahead with it."
Kushal is a partnership project between Credai Pune Metro and National Skill Development Corporation. The programme was conceived to improve the construction workforce's skills.
Shroff said builders go for additional floors because they have allowable floor space index (FSI)/Transfer of Development Right under different rules.
"At times, they (builders) don't realize all of it up front. When they realize it, as is the case with every businessman, he/she tries to make the maximum out of every opportunity. I don't see any other reason for it. In fact, building beyond a certain floor height is an incremental cost for the builder. Unless it makes economic sense, he won't do that," he added.
SOURCE: TIMES OF INDIA
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