No action against violations of building bylaws 2001
SHILLONG: RTI findings revealed that though the Meghalaya Building Bye Laws 2001 had prescribed that the height of total number of floors should not exceed 42 ft, it was violated even in 2004-05 with the officials allegedly legalizing the violations.
Commenting on the RTI reply which she received, the CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said that there were violators of the Building Bye Laws 2001 during the year 2004-2005. “Strangely these officials, whose names are not being given in the RTI reply by the PIO Directorate Urban Affairs, had ‘no objection’ to the increase in heights (of the buildings) and they somehow helped to legalize the violation.”
Efforts to get the names of the officials went in vain as the PIO did not want to provide the same.
Stating that Meghalaya falls under seismic zone V, Kharshiing expressed concern over the fact that the officials felt it necessary to allow an increase in height, despite violations to the Meghalaya Building Bye Laws 2001, as reflected in the letters from the then Secretary MUDA.
The RTI query revealed that no earthquake expert/earth engineer was consulted with regard to the increase in height from 42 ft to 19 meters (62 ft approx.) while preparing the Meghalaya Building Bye-Law, 2011.
Moreover, no expert from disaster management office was consulted before increasing the height.
While questioning the state of governance Kharshiing said, “This answers why the IAS babus were gifted land at Rs 1 per sq ft.”
The RTI sought to find out the officials involved in deciding the change of floors from 42 feet to 19 meters while preparing the new Meghalaya Building Bye-Law of 2011, but in the reply it was informed that the “official of Urban Affairs” had examined and submitted the proposal to the State Government in the Urban Affairs Department. No name was provided to the applicant.
The RTI revealed that there was no objection from any official of the State Government with regard to the increase in height.