Some colleges operate without building plan approval
As many as 71 colleges in the region operate out of unapproved buildings, according to information received by RTI activist Daniel Jesudas.
He had sought information from the office of the Deputy Director of Town and Country Planning under RTI on colleges that were functioning in the region without getting building plan approvals and received details on September 29 that there were 71 such institutions.
These were spread across the region. When these colleges operate without getting the required building plan approvals, safety of students is at risk. The State has seen loss of life due to building collapses and these buildings had not got the mandatory approvals.
Further, there is revenue loss to the government as these institutions have not paid the development charges.
Each of these buildings will have built up area of more than 50,000 sq.ft. These colleges might not have paid the property tax too as the assessment would not have been carried out. “We will take the legal course seeking action on the officials concerned and institutions,” he said.
An official at the regional office of town and country planning here said action was taken against some of the institutions a few years ago.
Notices were issued then to all colleges that did not have the required building plan approvals. Subsequently, some had submitted applications and even taken approval. In the case of the educational institutions that had not got the approval yet, action would be initiated again.
Steps would be taken for this, the official said.
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