The state cabinet on Monday approved proposed amendments to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Building Rules 2009, relaxing the mandatory open space requirements for small plots. The move aims to deter owners from building illegal structures and obtain necessary permissions from the civic body.
Calcutta’s mayor, Firhad Hakim, also a cabinet minister in the state government, announced after the meeting that owners can apply online and the KMC would reply within 15 days.
According to a civic official, a separate chapter has been introduced in the approved amendments for small plots, between half cottah and 3 cottahs, where up to three-storey residential buildings can be constructed.
To make it possible for buildings to be built on such small plots, the requirement of mandatory open spaces has been reduced.
The intent to make the amendments was announced earlier, but not implemented. Now that the state cabinet has approved the amendments, they will be effective after a gazette notification is issued.
The amendments will also come into effect in the Howrah municipal area that follows the KMC Building Rules, said a state government official.
“Similar amendments to the West Bengal Municipal Building Rules that apply to all municipal bodies in the state except those in Howrah and Calcutta, are also in the pipeline. They may be placed in the next cabinet meeting,” the official said.
“The state cabinet today approved the amendments to the KMC Building Rules,” mayor Hakim said.
“Owners of small plots can start construction immediately, and the KMC will inspect after the construction reaches the plinth level,” Hakim said.
According to sources, around 100 amendments were proposed to the KMC Building Rules 2009, and all were approved. A team comprising representatives from the KMC, fire brigade, state pollution control board, architects, licensed building surveyors who prepare building plans, and the police worked for over a year to prepare the proposed amendments.
The amendments also include more car parking spaces in large housing complexes, additional charging facilities for electric vehicles, and tougher green norms.