Consumer organisation calls for withdrawal of exemption given to commercial buildings to get power and water connections

The Coimbatore Consumer Cause has said that the recent relaxations for commercial buildings from getting building completion certificate goes against the orders of the Madras High Court.

The consumer organisation secretary K. Kathirmathiyon said in a press release that amendments to Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules extending exemption for commercial buildings to get electricity, water and sewage connections is against the public interest.

The Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules are based on High Court order and its objective is to discourage illegal and unauthorised building constructions.

In the case of residential buildings, structures with not more than eight dwelling units upto 12 metres height are exempted and in the case of commercial buildings, those upto 300 sq.mt area not exceeding 14 metres height are exempted. So, commercial buildings upto 3,229 sq.ft area need not get building completion certificate. A builder can construct even 30 shops without providing safety provisions or parking area and get electricity and water connections. Further, all industrial buildings are exempted from building completion certificate.

Local bodies refer to marriage halls, hospitals and several public buildings as commercial. Any accident in these can result in huge loss of lives.

Small tea shops, mechanic shops, and petty shops should have been exempted. These will be less than 1,000 sq. ft each. But, the current exemption is against the public interest and are “unnecessary”, he said.

The amendments by the government are only to encourage the violators of the building rules, he claimed. The government should withdraw the two amendments extending the exemption for larger residential and commercial buildings, he said.