No irregularities in approval to collapsed building: TN Govt

Tamil Nadu Government today said in the state assembly that there was no irregularities or lapses on its part in giving approval to the 11-storeyed under construction building that collapsed here recently killing 61 persons but assured it was taking tough action in the issue.
There was no laxity on the part of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) in granting plan approval and the responsibility of ensuring the building's stability lay with the developer, Housing and Urban Development Minister R Vaithilingam said in a detailed reply after opposition sought to raise the June 28 incident.
The under construction residential building had collapsed on June 28, killing 61 persons and injuring 27 others, most of whom are construction labourers.

With Speaker P Dhanapal declining permission for the opposition to raise the issue citing the ongoing judicial inquiry ordered by the government, members of opposition parties staged a walk out.
In his reply, the Minister said a committee of senior officials such as Member-Secretary of CMDA and from Fire and Rescue Services and Police scrutinises plans for approvals for multi-storeyed buildings and makes recommendations, he said.
Factors taken into account for approving a plan include the building's proposed use, height and parking facilities among others, he said.

Subsequently, approval had been granted for the building at Moulivakkam in suburban Porur as it had met all specifications and other laid down guidelines, he added.

"There is no violation or irregularities on part of the government or the panel," in this matter he said adding even No Objection Certificate (NOC) were obtained from various agencies including Fire and Rescue Services and NHAI.
While soil testing was out of the jurisdiction of CMDA, a building's stability was the responsibility of the property's developer, architect and structural engineer who give an undertaking in this regard, he said.
Over 900 plan approvals had been sanctioned since 1984 under the laid down procedures, he said adding there had been no 'unfortunate' accidents like the one on June 28.
He assured that the Jayalalithaa Government was acting tough on the matter and recalled the constitution of the one- man Commission of Inquiry and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter and the arrest of eight persons in connection with the collapse.

Incidentally, there were lot of irregularities in granting permission for buildings including those of DMK leaders during that party's previous rule, he charged adding the beneficiaries included its former leader M K Alagiri, Karthi Chidambaram (Congress) and former DMK Minister K Ponmudy.
He rejected DMK's demand for a CBI inquiry into the matter, saying it was an accident.