PMC Pune to issue Individual NOCs for acquiring Occupancy Certificates
Many buyers occupy their property before procuring an occupancy certificate. If a consumer starts using a property without a certificate, he is as much at fault as the builder. Corporators have demanded that when it comes to high-rise buildings, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) should not issue occupancy certificates, even to individuals, unless they get fire and lift no-objection certificates (NOCs).
There are many builders who have not taken these NOCs and, as a result, flat occupants have not received occupancy certificates. If a flat owner wants an occupancy certificate he has to give these NOCs to the PMC and it is difficult for him to complete the requirement for these amenities.The PMC can ask the builder to complete these basic amenities and till then give a stop work notice to the ongoing work.
In May this year, political parties had approved a proposal at the general body (GB) meeting, allowing the civic administration to start imposing a fine to regularise constructions according to the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, 1966.To acquire the occupancy certificate to regularise constructions with less than 650 sq ft carpet area, owners have to pay a fine of Rs 10,000, while for constructions with carpet area between 651 and 1,000 sq ft, the fine is Rs 15,000. For constructions with carpet area of more then 1,000 sq ft the fine is Rs 20,000.
The civic administration is working on a plan by which water, road and drainage NOCs can be issued to citizens to facilitate the process of acquiring occupancy (completion) certificates. It also wants to impose a fine on builders who have ‘deceived’ occupants by not acquiring these NOCs.
During construction of a building, the builder is supposed to get water supply, road and drainage NOCs from the corporation, stating that these basic amenities have been taken care of while constructing the building. After completion of a project, the builder also has to get an occupancy certificate from the concerned authority to ensure that construction of the building is as per the approved plan.
The original proposal, tabled by former municipal commissioner Mahesh Zagade, had stated that a fine should be imposed based on the total cost of the construction according to the ready reckoner rate. The proposal was later amended to impose a fine according to the total construction cost of the building. According to the approved proposal, to regularise one illegal residential tenement in use without a completion certificate, the owners have to pay a fine of 20 per cent of the total construction cost. To regularise illegal constructions built without permission, the fine is 50 per cent of the construction cost for residential buildings and 70 per cent for commercial buildings.
“We have already subsidised procurement of occupancy certificates for individual flat owners. Instead, we are imposing a heavy fine on builders who have not procured the certificate. We are studying the earlier notification along the lines of what the corporators have suggested,” said additional city engineer Vivek Kharwadkar. “We are making the process to occupy NOCs and occupancy certificates easier for citizens and will take more steps in this regard immediately,” said Kharwadkar.
Carpet area, Fine to regularize Illegal construction, Flat owners, Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, No Objection Certificate, Occupancy Certificate, PMC Pune, Pune, Pune Municipal Corporation, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)
[...] looking at the real estate scenario of Pune in 2012, the removal of No Objection Certificate (NOC) system by the state government comes as a positive sign. This system required the residential buyer [...]