Constructing house under financial crunch? Check out these relaxations in govt schemes

Is it mandatory for all building permit applications to be prepared by an engineer? The answer is no. However, the fact that people are not aware of this benefit and that registered engineers and supervisors in this field do not inform those building houses about it creates significant problems in many local bodies. Recently, there were news reports of a surprise inspection by the State Vigilance in a panchayat in the eastern region of Palakkad district regarding this issue.

Complaints were also received that even for government-funded house constructions, including LIFE and PMAY, engineers insist on plans and applications prepared by them, leading to significant expenses for the beneficiaries.

Let's examine the facts. Chapter 8 of the Panchayat Rules and Municipal Rules (KPBR & KMBR) mentions such constructions. These relaxations apply to houses built for economically weaker sections (EWS) through government agencies or departments like Fisheries, Scheduled Castes/Tribes, Social Welfare, Housing, or their associated corporations and agencies, or with their financial assistance.

The area of such buildings should not exceed 66 sq m (708 sq ft), and the number of floors should not exceed two (however, a loft can be constructed above). They should be built maintaining a distance of 1.5 m (or 3 m) from highways, district roads, and roads wider than 6 m.

A 1-meter front yard is sufficient, and other yards can be 60 cm, but 1 meter is mandatory on the side where a door is installed. Many other conditions normally required for buildings are not applicable to these.

An application, handwritten or typed, along with a site plan indicating the location of the building and documents proving ownership should be submitted. The area and number of floors must be mentioned in the application. No application fee is required. These permits are available for applicants regardless of whether it is a panchayat, municipality, or corporation.

In Category 2 panchayats, permits are not even required for houses up to 100 sq m (1074 sq ft). However, if the permit needs to be submitted to a bank or other office, applicants falling under the above-mentioned categories can apply as mentioned above, while others can apply through the usual process.

Important Note: Building construction rules do not allow local bodies to grant a No Objection Certificate (NOC) in place of a building permit. No one has the authority to withhold or conceal the relaxations granted by the government to the public. The author is an Overseer in the Engineering Department of the Local Self-Government Department.