Scheme to regularise building plans fails

RAWALPINDI:

The cantonment boards of Rawalpindi have failed to convince people to get their residential buildings regularised by acquiring building plans under a much publicised amnesty scheme for illegal residential structures.

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.

However, from September 1 to 21, the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) issued only 155 building plans while Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) issued only 43.

Under the amnesty scheme, the boards had claimed to issue building plans within three days of submitting applications. However, the results have remained disappointing so far. The penalty was only Rs100 and the charges of the draftsman for making the map was just Rs2,500.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2020.