Maharashtra mulls audit of every building

Civic bodies and officials concerned to face the music for negligence in duty

In the wake of rising incidents of building collapse, both authorised and unauthorised, the Maharashtra government plans to make a periodical structural audit mandatory for all buildings.

The government’s proposal will cover all private and co-operative housing and those in the possession of landlords across the state. These buildings will have to carry out structural audit through established auditors every three or five years, and the report will have to be given to the respective civic body.

If the buildings fail to carry out periodical structural audit, stern action will be initiated by the authorities concerned. In Mumbai alone, there are over 60,000 co-operative buildings.

On the other hand, the government proposes to make the respective civic body and officials accountable for serious lapses. The civic body and the officials concerned will have to keep a regular tab on structural audit on all buildings. They are supposed to take strict action against defaulters, otherwise, the civic body and officials concerned will face action for dereliction of duty.

The state government’s move is confirmed by Sachin Ahir, Maharashtra’s minister of state for housing. He told Business Standard: “The proposal is currently under the government’s consideration. However, the urban development department will firm up the final proposal and issue necessary notification in this regard.”

Ahir, however, informed that housing and slums rehabilitation department has already taken a decision to make structural audit compulsory for the buildings developed under the slums rehabilitation scheme.

Another senior minister, who did not want to be identified, said that if any building or buildings fail to carry out structural audit as mandated, the respective civic body will do it and recover the necessary charges from them.