The Case:

An NRI, non-resident of India, committed suicide for not getting an occupancy certificate. The Anthoor Municipality rejected his application, as there were potholes and violation of construction rules in the plan. The State government on Wednesday informed the Kerala High Court about it.

However, the State government submitted this case in a suo moto. It decided to raise the banner against red-tapism in Municipal Corporation of Anthoor. This action trailed the initiative taken by the High Court upon learning about that suicide case of the NRI.

What the Government Says:

The government cleared its stand by revealing the pan incident. It pointed out that the building plan was squarely changed when it came to claiming occupancy certificate. In short, the Municipality was served by a completely new plan later. This plan had many flaws if you check it in the scope of construction norms. Earlier, it was submitted for Group D assembly building. The competent authority could not nod for such a defective plan.

As far as the red-tapism is concerned, the government claimed that it had taken comprehensive steps to prevent it. It follows a legal hierarchy of rules to grant building permits and occupancy certificates.

The occupancy certificate is a legal proof, issued by a local government agency or planning authority. Generally, it is issued post completion of construction of a new project. It certifies that the project has been accomplished, while sticking to the applicable building codes, regulations and laws.

Digital Assistance:

The Municipality had already deployed software to look into issuance of permits and certificates. Placing the software is a crucial step to get off hassles in obtaining building permits and occupancy certificates. In fact, the authority had stringently ordered to follow an order fixing time limits, be it for approving a building plan, its inspection and the occupancy certificate.

A Mandate:

Now, the government has made it mandatory to issue the construction permit within 45 days. Besides, the occupancy certificate must be issued within seven days upon inspection of the completed infrastructure.