By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Urban Affairs Minister, Hamletson Dohling, on Tuesday informed the state Assembly that it is crucial to have an agency/authority in district council areas to implement the Meghalaya Building Bye Laws, 2011 (as amended in 2015) or similar building bye-laws to ensure safety of buildings and to prevent calamities.
He was replying to a Zero Hour notice moved by Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh. He said, “At the same time, due to an earlier PIL filed in the High Court of Meghalaya, it is understood that there has to be an agency/authority in district council areas to implement the Meghalaya Building Bye Laws, 2011 (as amended on 2015) or similar building bye laws to ensure safety of buildings and to prevent calamities.”
He added that if MUDA is relieved of the responsibility of implementing the Meghalaya Building Bye Laws outside municipal areas, it should be ensured that it is vested with the district councils.
He said for areas falling within municipal and scheme areas, the Meghalaya Building Bye Laws will be implemented by MUDA while these will be implemented by the concerned district councils in master plan areas outside the jurisdiction of municipal area.
“Further, it also resolved that public desirous of applying for building permission in areas outside municipal limits but within master plan areas, may approach either of the authorities for obtaining their sanction of building permission, occupancy certificates,” he said.
Dohling said in order to enable the district councils to implement the Meghalaya Building Bye Laws, a fresh notification was proposed to be issued under Sub-Section 1 of Section 2 of the Meghalaya Town & Country Planning Act, 1973.
He said the Meghalaya Town and Country Planning Act, 1973 talks only of areas having master plan. It was also advised that the District Council Affairs department come up with building bye laws in areas beyond the master plan areas not covered by the act.
He added the district councils shall implement the same Meghalaya Building Bye Laws, 2011 (as amended on 2015) being implemented by MUDA.
Dohling said that since the Meghalaya Town & Country Planning Act, 1973 is not being enforced in areas outside master plan areas like villages, the district council shall in due course of time have its own building bye laws which should be taken up after following due procedure for getting the assent of the Governor.
“Whereas, it is desirable to have the same building bye laws, the final decision vests with the District Council Affairs department to notify,” he added.
