SHILLONG: Congress MDC from Laitumkhrah, Antonio War has urged upon the Executive Committee to enact separate Building Bye Laws which will be applicable within the jurisdiction of the KHADC.
While moving a motion on the issue during the second day of the Council’s Summer Session on Tuesday, War said that there is an urgent need for the Council to formulate its own building bye-laws in view of the multiple problems faced by people while seeking permission from MUDA.
He said that MUDA charges several thousand of rupees for granting building permission adding to the woes of the middle class. Besides, the procedure for applying for building permission is too lengthy and complex and amounts to harassment, he added.
While the applicability of the MUDA bye-laws should be restricted to the municipal areas, he said the MUDA has been encroaching in localities falling under Shillong Municipal Administered Areas like Laitumkhrah, Jaiaw and Mawkhar.
He said that the enactment of the building bye-laws by the Council would pave the way for the people outside the municipal areas to apply for building permission from the KHADC.
“The Council would also be able to generate revenue through this initiative,” War said.
In reply, KHADC CEM Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said that the Executive Committee will examine the possibilities of the proposal.
He said that there are provisions in the Sixth Schedule which authorizes the Council to constitute town committees. “We would first try to constitute town committees before enacting our own building bye-laws,” the KHADC CEM said.