Sakrama applicable to apartment blocks also

Sakrama applicable to apartment blocks also

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: Do you own a flat in an apartment block? Are you wondering whether the ongoing Sakrama scheme is also applicable to you?

According to the amended Karnataka Town and Country Planning (Regularisation of unauthorised development or constructions) Rules, 2007, Sakrama is applicable to apartment blocks that have been fully completed with water and electricity connections before February 3, 2007.

Owners of all residential apartment and high-rise commercial buildings have to apply for regularisation under Sakrama if the buildings have come up on an unauthorised layout or are built without change of land use or have setback and Floor Area Ration (FAR) violations, senior BBMP officials said.

According to the officials, if an apartment complex, with ground plus three upper floors (up to 15 metres height) does not have a sanctioned plan either from Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) or City Municipal Council (CMC) and if the building construction has deviated from the sanctioned plan, then it is an unauthorised complex.

That apart, if a complex or high rise building with more than ground plus three upper floors (more than 15 metres height) does not have a sanctioned plan from either BDA or BMP and is not constructed as per the sanctioned plan, it is also unauthorised.

Unlike in the case of individual houses where the owner can apply for Sakrama on his own, an apartment owners’ association should be formed to get the unauthorised portion regularised.

The amended rules specify that violations of high rise buildings can be regularised only through a residents’ association.