News
As Govt seeks to legalise unauthorised buildings, UDA launches flying squad
View(s):A week after the Sunday Times revealed a Government move to bring in a Bill that seeks to legalise unauthorised constructions in state-built condominiums, the Urban Development Authority has come up with a proposal to deploy flying squads to ensure that private and state sector constructions are being carried out according to approved plans.
UDA Chairman Jagath Munasinghe told the Sunday Times the teams carrying out the inspections would be authorised to recommend a halt to construction, to correct shortcomings or initiate legal action. He said the UDA would also be empowered to impose penalties.
The UDA plans to launch its flying squad programme comes in the wake of the Government’s bid to present the Apartment Ownership (Special Provision) Bill in Parliament to give approval to unauthorised extensions and flawed condominiums constructed by the state prior to 2009.
The Sunday Times Page 1 lead story last week highlighted the key provisions of the bill.Responding to the news item, Housing and Construction Ministry Secretary Bernard Vasantha said the objective of the bill was to provide enabling legislation for the registration of condominium properties constructed by state agencies, especially by the Commission of National Housing prior to 2009.
He said the proposed legislation also covered condominium properties constructed on state lands in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami.The Secretary said the principal intention of this bill was to provide security to tenants and dwellers in state sector constructed condominiums.
The bill provides for approval of state sector constructions, notwithstanding the lack of building plans approved by the local authority, the lack of a certificate of conformity issued by the local authority, and the lack of an assessment number. It also provides approval for condominium properties that are not in conformity with building plans.
UDA Chairman Munasinghe said they decided to launch the flying squads after investigations showed that some of the constructions were illegal and had failed to keep to the approved plans.
He said the UDA had estimated that in the Colombo District alone, there were more than 10,000 unauthorised structures.The UDA chief said the flying squad would carry out inspections in the Western Province and 46 other zones coming under the purview of the UDA, with the support of the local authorities, the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation Development Corporation and divisional secretaries.