Ending a long wait for thousands of New Town plot-owners, Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco) has drawn up building rules and regulations for the township.

In a gazette notification, the state housing department made public the rules, named Building Operation Rules, 2006, on July 24. It is the third set of building regulations in Calcutta, after the ones for the city proper and Salt Lake.

Earlier this year, the government had empowered Hidco to frame building rules and sanction building plans for New Town by amending the Town and Country Planning Act. The right to frame rules and sanction building plans rests with the civic authority. Hidco will enjoy the power till the township gets a municipality.

“We have framed liberal building rules, considering the needs, safety and the comfort of the residents. Suggestions have been taken from eminent architects, engineers and city planners,” housing minister and Hidco chairman Goutam Deb told Metro on Thursday.

“Thousands of people who have been allotted plots in New Town have long been waiting to build a house. They can start construction right away,” Deb added.

The rules do not impose any restriction on the floor-height of the buildings, unlike in Salt Lake. The height of a building, however, has to be commensurate with the width of the access road. In Salt Lake, the height must be proportional to the size of the plot.

A mezzanine floor or basement can also be constructed in New Town buildings, said Hidco officials. In another departure from the Salt Lake rules, 10 to 20 per cent of the covered area of residential buildings in New Town can be utilised for commercial purposes.

“We have allowed commercial activities in residential buildings to keep the township vibrant. If there are shops, cyber cafes, tea stalls and restaurants in any area, it will remain buzzing till late at night. If you visit Salt Lake in the evening, you will think it’s midnight. Criminals take advantage of the situation. We do not want the same thing to happen in New Town. Moreover, many unemployed youths can earn a living by setting up shops in their residences,” said Hidco managing director R.K. Tripathy.

A software has been developed by Regional Computer Centre, Jadavpur University, to sanction building plans online, stated senior general manager (estate) Uma Ghosh.