PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is planning to start a mandatory registration process for builders so that they can be held accountable for constructions carried out within the PMC limits. No construction projects will be allowed without registration.
“The administration has taken the decision to avoid cases of building and wall collapse. If the builders are registered with the civic body then they can be held accountable for any mishaps. At present, there is no provision where the builders can be held responsible for accidents or poor quality work,” said Mahesh Pathak, municipal commissioner while speaking to TOI on Friday.
It’s only the structural auditors and architects who are registered with the civic administration so that they can be questioned and held responsible for any mishap. The same process will now be introduced to the builders.
“The officials at PMC’s building department are working on the legal process related to the registration, which will be completed soon. The actual registration process will start in one month’s time,” he said.
Pathak said the registration system will be set up along the lines of the Union government’s real estate bill. The bill has proposed that the each project should be registered with the local body.
However, the civic administration’s registration process will not be confined to registration for a particular project. There will be no separate registration for projects but the builder will have to register. It will be a one-time registration no matter how many projects he undertakes.
If the registered builder is found involved in wrong practices, he may be banned from working within the PMC limits, said Pathak. “After any complaints, the builders will be called for a hearing. If the complaints are found true and the builder is found to have made serious lapses in work, then his registration will be cancelled. The option to suspend the license during the inquiry period is also available,” he said.
The city has registered four major accidents of wall / toilet/ wada collapse in the last two months where seven people lost their lives. Last year, an illegal building in Taljai area had collapsed killing 11 people.
Currently, the city has around 7.5 lakh properties including commercial and residential. Each year PMC gets around 4,500 proposals seeking building permissions.
Source: The Times of India