Gurugram: FIRs against five plot owners for flouting building norms

GURUGRAM: The department of town and country planning (DTCP) has filed FIRs against five plot owners in Palam Vihar for allegedly violating the layout plan during construction of their houses as well as occupation certificate conditions. The builders, architects and buyers of the illegal properties have also been booked for the same offences, officials said.

District town planner (enforcement) RS Batth told TOI that the department received a complaint against illegal construction of multiple dwelling units on a single floor in buildings raised on each of the five plots in C2 block of Palam Vihar.

Based on the complaint, the enforcement team inspected the sites and found violations of some provisions of the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975.

“Major alterations have been carried out by the plot owners and builders after obtaining the occupation certificate. Sub-division of each floor into multiple dwelling units (i.e. more than one dwelling unit on each floor) is itself a gross violation of the Act. The occupation certificate granted to each of the plot owners has been cancelled by DTCP. FIRs have also been filed against them at Palam Vihar police station,” Batth said.

“These plot owners had constructed two to four independent dwelling flats on each floor in complete violation of building bylaws and occupation certificate conditions. The illegal units were sealed by DTP enforcement on Wednesday,” he added.

As per norms, it is mandatory to procure occupancy certificate for any residential building constructed on a plot. For plot sizes bigger than 180 square yards, there is a provision for construction of four floors and stilt parking. But several plot owners in Palam Vihar have constructed two to four flats on each floor and sold the same to homebuyers.

The occupation certificate of these buildings clearly mentions that only four dwelling units are approved (single kitchen on each floor i.e., one independent dwelling unit on each floor). Moreover, it is also mentioned in the OC that any addition/alteration inside the premises after obtaining OC, without the permission of the competent authority, shall be considered a violation of the approval.

Batth also said as per norms, the occupation certificate will stand automatically cancelled if the owner or the builder changes the permitted use of the building or raises any additional construction in the said building without the approval of the competent authority and occupies the portion of the said building for which OC has not been granted.

“In such a case, action shall be initiated as per law,” he added.