Guwahati, June 30: If Dispur?s hammer does come down on ?all? illegal structures in the city, the National Games cannot possibly be held in October.
The main National Games stadium, which is still under construction at Sarusajai, does not have the mandatory no-objection certificate from either the Guwahati Municipal Corporation or the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority.
A source in the GMDA said this was contradictory to Dispur?s stand on the violation of building bylaws applicable to the city. The building bylaws state that any permanent construction within the Guwahati municipal or metropolitan area should have the consent of the GMC or the GMDA.
Guwahati development department minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced punitive action, including demolition, against all buildings constructed without obtaining permission from the city?s municipal authorities. He was perhaps oblivious to the fact that Larsen & Toubro has been constructing the main stadium without procuring a no-objection certificate.
The only concession for government buildings is exemption from paying fees. Private builders have to pay a certain amount of money as fees for approval of their plans, but it is waived for government structures. ?By disregarding the building bylaws, the government has set a bad precedent,? a source said.
?The addition of even a single floor to a private building without permission is enough to bring in the demolition squad. Against this backdrop, the government owes the people an explanation as to why its own agencies have not bothered to complete the necessary official formalities before going ahead with construction of official buildings,? he added.
Sources said Larsen & Toubro began constructing the stadium on March 2, 2004, on the basis of designs prepared by the architecture company STUP Consultants. But the designs did not have either the GMC or the GMDA?s stamp of approval.
?Since the National Games Secretariat ? comprising senior government officials ? is co-ordinating with both STUP and Larsen & Toubro, it was expected of them to be mindful enough to seek the GMC or GMDA?s approval before beginning construction,? the source said.
The Telegraph has published a series of reports on government buildings ? including the new secretariat ?being constructed without permission.
