SHILLONG, March 12: The Opposition UDP on Tuesday sought action against people who construct houses without applying for building permission from the KHADC.
The UDP questioned the efficacy of the building permission and the move of the council to request the state government to allow it to implement the building bylaws outside the Shillong Agglomeration master plan.
Raising this issue during the Question Hour on the second day of the budget session, Opposition leader Titosstarwell Chyne said the state government has empowered the district council to issue building permission in the Sixth Schedule areas.
He, however, observed that many people constructing houses within the periphery of Shillong do not come to the council to apply for building permission.
He said these people usually reach out to the council only when they realise they will need the occupancy certificate for electricity and water connections.
“I would like to know what steps or actions are being taken against such people who are constructing houses without the council’s building permission,” Chyne said.
Executive Member in charge of Building Bye-Laws, Teibor Pathaw admitted that there are many cases where people come to the council to seek occupancy certificates after they have already constructed their houses.
Pointing out that the KHADC has been able to implement the bye-laws since January 2023, he said the council will insist that they produce the letter from the Rangbah Shnong or Dorbar Shnong concerned to indicate that they have constructed their houses before the council was empowered to implement the building bye-laws.
He informed the members that the council will send a team of technical staff to see if the houses constructed fulfill the norms and criteria laid down in the building bylaws after receiving a letter from the Rangbah Shnong.
“It is only then we issue the occupation certificate in such cases,” he said.
Pathaw also said the Khasi Hills Building and Structure Regulatory Authority has issued 263 building permissions to date and 174 applications for permission are pending.
The UDP’s Mawthadraishan MDC, Jambor War asked if the Executive Committee plans to implement the building bye-laws even in the rural villages.
Pointing out that the people in the rural areas are constructing different types of houses, he wondered what kind of houses in the rural areas will require obtaining building permission from the council.
He suggested that the council should hold consultations with various stakeholders, especially the traditional heads, before implementing the building bye-laws in the villages.
Pathaw replied that they have only recently asked the state government to let the council implement the building bylaws beyond the Shillong Agglomeration master plan.
He said the government will soon notify a committee that will have representatives from the three Autonomous District Councils in the state along with officials from the Urban Affairs Department.
He also said the MDCs representing different constituencies can submit their views and suggestions for the EC to place before the committee to be constituted by the government.
“Nothing has been decided. It is only a proposal placed before the government,” Pathaw said.
He assured the House they would not rush to push for this until they hold consultations with the stakeholders in the villages.
Meanwhile, Congress MDC from Mylliem, Ronnie V. Lyngdoh suggested that the council should not permit the construction of houses along the river banks and water bodies.
“We have seen the fate of the Umkhrah and Umshyrpi rivers. I am not sure if we will ever be able to clean these two rivers,” he said.
Pathaw said a High Court of Meghalaya ruling already bars any kind of construction near the rivers and streams.
