CMDA notices to 48 Buildings within a month

CHENNAI: The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) was on Wednesday asked by a monitoring committee to issue statutory notices to 48 multi-storied commercial buildings within a month. These buildings were served demolition notices prior to 2007.As per the minutes of the 40th meeting of the monitoring committee on July 15, a special task force would also be established to enforce this action. “The task force should include officials at the divisional level of the Chennai Corporation, municipalities, local bodies, the  Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and officials at the appropriate level from other agencies to take up enforcement action against these buildings in a focused manner,” suggested the committee.“As the constitution of the special task force will take some time, the CMDA can start issuing statutory notices as a preliminary step,” according to the committee, set up under the directions of the High Court.During the meeting, it was decided that fresh notices on discontinuing use of the building, locking, sealing and demolition of unauthorised portions in the 30-day time limit may be given to all these buildings. This should be done following an inspection and assessment on the latest status of the buildings.Interestingly, authorities at the Metro Water, CMDA, Corporation and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) have all come up with a collective strategy to initiate action against these buildings. While the TNEB and Metro Water have decided not to provide service connections or to discontinue existing ones, the Chennai Corporation will cancel the trade licences of these buildings, besides sealing unauthorised portions.The panel has also requested the  Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority to approach the government regarding suitable amendments in the Electricity Board Act and the Metro Water Act to make the completion certificate for special buildings and multi-storied buildings  mandatory for extending service connections.