Karachi: KBCA to have special court, police to minimise illegal construction

[Naveed Yaseen]

‘Tenders issued for construction of court building

Monday, August 24, 2009
Karachi

The Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) is all set to have a special court and police stations, all of which will become operational within a month. These, according to KBCA Chief Controller of Buildings Manzoor Kadir, will minimise illegal constructions by around 80 per cent.

“Work on the court near the KBCA building is going to start soon. Tenders for this project have already been issued. Work on the police station is already under way,” Kadir said.

The KBCA had approached the Sindh government regarding a separate court and a police station for the Authority to check unabated, unauthorised and illegal constructions in the city, Kadir said. He added that the government has also authorised the Authority to register FIRs against violators of Building byelaws and Challan them for prosecution in the special KBCA court.

Kadir said that he had suggested amendments in the Sindh Building Control Ordinance to enhance penalties by amending Section 19. The current penalty is six months of imprisonment and a fine of Rs5,000. This, Kadir said, should be changed to 10years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs2 million. He added that KBCA officers should have magisterial powers for in order to be able to control growing illegal construction.

He said the proposed amendments in the Sindh Building Control Ordinance are now with the Law Department and will be tabled before the Sindh Asembly in the form of a Bill. He admitted, however, that the KBCA will not be able to check illegal constructions too much due to the pace at which Karachi was expanding.

He said that in the recommendations that he sent to the provincial government, he had made it clear that in order to check illegal construction activities, the utilities will not provide connections to these place unless the builder produces the completion certificate, while leasing authorities would not sublease the building either, without the production of the completion certificate.

He pointed out that in a decision given on a petition filed by the KBCA, the Court had made it binding for the police that the moment they receive a letter from the KBCA regarding an illegal construction, it will be the responsibility of the police to not allow the construction to continue.

“In this entire scenario, the KBCA cannot resort to dishonesty because our role is minimal. The major role is that of the utilities and the registrars,” Kadiq said.

He further said that the building which collapsed recently in Liaquatabad had not been occupied. It was approved for ground-plus-two floors, but builder had constructed four floors. Likewise, the plan for the building which collapsed in Mithadar had been approved for ground-plus-two floors in 1973, but the owner constructed five floors.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=194597