Unauthorised layouts mushroom in Srikakulam

Srikakulam: With property prices here starting to take an upward curve given the proposed development, several developers seeking to cash in on investors’ eagerness at picking plots early have come up with ventures. About 27 illegal layouts had sprung up in the last few months in and around Rajam town.
Some of these layouts do not have the required approval and buyers are asked to be cautious and check on what they are purchasing. According to rough estimates, the illegal layouts were also identified at Kothavalasa, Kondampeta, Saradhi and Butchimpeta villages.
Speaking to The Hans India, Rajam Municipal Commissioner P Simhachalam said that they have served notices on the owners of these layouts and informed the matter to Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) vice-chairman.
He said around 20 illegal layouts have sprung up in Palasa, Nemali and Udayapuram on the agriculture land without getting the Non Agriculture status from the Revenue authorities. He said Vigilance team confirmed that owners of these layouts have evaded paying Rs 5 crore towards charges to convert agricultural land to non-agricultural purposes (NALA).
He said the government had framed rules to ensure planned development. "It is only when these rules are not followed that people residing in unapproved layouts suffer from issues such as clogging of drainage channels, rainwater stagnation, congested roads, inability to lay underground drainage and so on," he added.
He urged plot buyers to be vigilant and make enquiries with either in person or over phone or through their e-mail addresses before buying plots from any of the realtors.
Palasa tahasildar G Satyannarayana said that they have decided to crack down against unauthorised ventures and added that officials have been scouting around compiling inputs on ventures without approvals.
He said since pharmaceutical industries are likely to come up in Etcherla Assembly segment, illegal housing layouts are mushrooming in Ranasthalam, Laveru and Etcherla mandals.
He said if some developers plotted their layouts and started selling plots without approval, others were found to have taken up ventures and plots in zones that were not meant for residential purposes. “Without seeking the conversion of zone, such plots are seen in agricultural zone and even along water bodies,” he added.
According to sources, some land developers had promoted properties on the basis of "illegal" layout approval with the support of local TDP leaders who had no authority to approve layouts.
The Vigilance and Enforcement unit is planning to initiate action against these illegal layouts like disconnecting the power supply and water supply and also initiate criminal proceedings against the persons who had formed these illegal layouts.
The private layouts, particularly those which have sprung up in the district have been the cause of worry since it gave room for unplanned growth of the city without any basic amenities. The gullible people were made to believe through false propaganda that the owners of these layouts had applied for approval of the planning body and sold housing plots at considerably high amount.
The Vigilance and Enforcement unit is planning to hand over notices to the respective gram panchayats to be served on developers. At Sompeta, an illegal layout has sprung up along a local channel which is essential for the rainwater to recede.
Cautioning land and residential house buyers to be doubly careful, VUDA assistant project officer B Suresh Kumar advised them to demand an affidavit from the promoters with regard to land ownership as well as encumbrance certificates. He said illegal housing layouts have been one of the major problems faced by the urban planning body.