Urban News

Indian Express 31.08.2009

In October, GMADA to resume plots lying vacant for over eight years

The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) will begin resumption proceedings against vacant plots in October, if the allottees whose plots have been lying vacant for over 8 years since their allotment in Mohali fail to avail of the last chance given to them to build their plots.

Under the last chance, the allottees are required to submit their building plans for approval latest by September 30, before constructing their plots till December 31, failing which resumption proceedings under the provisions of the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995, would be initiated to resume the vacant plots, said the GMADA Estate Officer.

The development assumes significance as the owners (who were allotted plots over 8 years ago) were given time till June 30 to get their building plans approved. Keeping in view the demand of hundreds of such allottees, who failed to avail of the earlier benefit, the state government has decided to extend the time limit of submitting the building plans till September 30

GMADA authorities said this would be the “final opportunity” and if the allottees failed to complete the “minimum required construction of a single dwelling unit” till December 31, their vacant plots would be resumed without serving any further notice.

In June, the state government had extended the deadline for constructing the plots till December 31. Earlier, a one-year extension had been granted thrice for constructing vacant plots, which were allotted in or before 1998.

The construction time limit of the plots allotted in or before 1998 had expired in December 2006, when it was extended for a year till December 2007 and again another one-year extension was accorded twice on the persistent demand of vacant plot owners across the state.

The last extension had expired on December 31, 2008, following which the vacant plot owners were up in arms after receiving resumption notices, which now stand withheld.

According to the allotment policy in Punjab, the allottees are required to build their plots within 8 years of the allotment.

Since a large number of plots saw little or no construction, even after expiry of their construction period, the state government had for the first time given a one-year extension in 2006.

After the expiry of their maximum construction period in January 2007, lakhs of vacant plot owners across the state were issued resumption notices by the Punjab Urban Development and Planning Authority (PUDA) in most parts of Punjab. In Mohali, the resumption notices were issued by GMADA.

Following the receipt of resumption notices, the vacant plot owners were a worried lot and most of them had either sold off their plots in much lesser consideration than the prevailing market price or were contemplating the same for fear of resumption. .

The Hindu 31.08.2009

Green buildings, need of the hour

Staff Reporter

Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

Handbook on green buildings being released by Finance Minister K. Rosaiah in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. AU Vice-Chancellor B. Satyanarayana, emeritus president of ISHRAE, seminar convener K. Leela Prasad, Union Minister of State for Union HRD D. Purandeswari, JNTU Vice-Chancellor Allam Appa Rao and VPT Chairman Ajeya Kallam are also seen. —

VISAKHAPATNAM: The importance of promoting green building concepts and evolving energy efficient practices was underscored at a seminar here on green building on Sunday.

The seminar was held at Andhra University Platinum Jubilee Guesthouse by the city branch of Indian Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) with the support of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development D. Purandeswari said an aggressive campaign should be launched on promoting green buildings and green technologies in view of threats posed due to global warming and climate change.

She said sustainable environment was the need of the hour and pointed out how in the ancient time, people used to live in eco-friendly huts made with mud walls and thatched roofs.

She said the aim of green building practices was to reduce environmental degradation and described how in the United States, 22 lakh acres of green wetland was being created every year. Due to sensitisation and legislative measures, power consumption by the buildings had been reduced from 68 per cent of total power in 2002 to 40 percent in 2006. The water consumption had also come down drastically.

Ms. Purandeswari criticised the Kyoto Protocol and said India had a carbon dioxide emission of four per cent as against permissible limit of five per cent. India was also a role model in promoting green building concept and disclosed that as of now, a space of 275 million square feet had been created with green building concepts.

Handbook released

AP Minister for Finance K. Rosaiah, who released a handbook on green building said a green building would always give good health, ambience and satisfaction to its occupants. Allaying fears on green buildings that they were expensive and time-consuming, he said there was no truth in such assumptions. He said the people should be educated on multiple benefits of green building concepts and energy efficient practices. National president of ISHRAE M.P. Agarwal presided. AU Vice-Chancellor Beela Satyanarayana, JNTU (Kakinada) V-C Allam Appa Rao, Visakhapatnam Port Trust Chairman Ajeya Kallam and emiretus president of ISHRAE Prem C. Jain and others spoke. Event convener K. Leela Prasad proposed a vote of thanks.