RCB, CCB issue building plans to defaulters

Instead of months, maps being approved in three days

RAWALPINDI:

Under the amnesty scheme, the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) have started issuing building plans to owners of domestic structures who had not acquired this vital document against a penalty of only Rs100.

A building constructed without an approved building plan is considered unauthorised and the penalty to regualrise it multiplies every year. However, the cantonment boards offered an amnesty scheme to people to get their buildings regularised by acquiring a building plan that too without penalty.

Station Commander Brigadier Aijaz Qamar on Tuesday presented building maps to two people who got their residential structures regularised under the scheme.

Further, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Umar Farooq told a press conference that there were some 70,000 residential units in the cantonment areas of Rawalpindi city. However, he added that only 40,000 of them were under the tax-net while others were not as they were constructed without approved building maps.

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Farooq said that under the amnesty scheme, building maps would be approved and issued within three days of submission of application unlike past when it took months to get a map. CEO said that the cantonment has improved its serviced and locals would get their bills at their doorsteps now.

Explaining the amnesty scheme, the official said that the draftsman would charge Rs25 for designing the map while the CBs would charge a penalty of just R 100 apart from the development charges. Earlier, the penalty was in millions of rupees which have been reduced under the scheme, he added.

Farooq told that they have set up offices in different areas where citizens could go and initiate the regularisation process. The cantonment teams go the houses for evaluation and the maps are prepared within 24 hours after submission of fees, he added.

CEO asserted that the action against the officials involved in illegal constructions was underway, adding that charge-sheets were also issued against many of them.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2020.