So the state government extended the deadline, and also reduced 'regularization' fees. The BJP wants the scheme to be put on hold, and I think we will soon hear more from the courts via some pending PILs.
Sakrama may not be a perfect scheme, but it is the only step government has taken towards solving the mother of all ills that plague our city - plan violations. I don't like the one time fee concept (why not make violators pay a fee every year, that way you will make them think of altering constructions). I don't see clarity on what will happen to the buildings with 'unacceptable' level of violations - demolitions or not? I don't see any talk of punishing the 'officials' who may have been involved in letting things come to such a state where 70-80% of buildings have violations. I don't see creation of new fund or special task-force (regularization fees can be used for this) to improve policing of building norms so that we don't require a Sakrama every five years. But, but, but.
But still, Sakrama tells me that someone realizes building violations are a problem. An extra illegal floor adds more residents. More residents mean more cars to park, more electricity/water/etc to supply using a distribution infrastructure that didn't get any capacity additions. An illegal basement means 1) customers park on the street, valuable road space lost, and 2) more customer visitors than what the building or commercial area was 'designed' to handle.
Its time we realize that these small small things add up to be significant. Whats the point in crying over Masterplans and CDPs if we don't really care to enforce the development norms?
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more needs to be done
irregularity is regular
All the elements of a classic bangalore design are there.
The irregularity in architecture is great.
and the irregularity in traffic planning around the building is standard.
its a retail space and yet two people cannot safely walk shoulder to shoulder in front of the shops.
but you can park cars and bikes. bottom line message: unless you are coming in a car or a bike you are not welcome, i dont even care about others who are passing by the building.
I have nothing against any of these guys, the guy who designed this building must be a genius to come up with some thing like this.
The owner had the taste to pick that genius, and he was choosy enough to select brand name stores and yet when it came to following building code, all this brain power and money power reduced to penny pinching.
and there is somebody in the palike who actually signed off on this, perhaps for a pretty paisa.
in any case, the lokayukta has dug in tis heel at ub city.