Chandigarh : THE Administrations move to provide for self-certification of building plans is likely to bring fruit soon.

Highly-placed sources said the proposal with some amendments had been finalised. The file, they said, is with UT Administrator Gen (retd.) S.F. Rodrigues for clearance and is likely to be approved by the Governor by this weekend.

Once the proposal is implemented, certain changes will come into place: The authority to clear building plans will rest with registered architects of the city. The clearance, however, would only be for certain categories of houses in Chandigarh. Architects would also have to give an undertaking that plans are in accordance with the building by-laws.

However, the power to give occupation and completion certificates still rests with the Administration. Once a building is constructed, the owner would have to take these from the Administration.

The caveat in the new proposal is that if after taking a registered architects clearance, the building is not constructed as per the plan, action would be taken. And that can include demolition.

As of now, building plans are approved by the plan approval committee, which is headed by the Deputy Commissioner; its members include the town-planner.

The plan has been initiated by the Administration on the lines of HUDA, which has started it on an experimental basis in some sectors of Panchkula and Gurgaon.

The Administrations self-certification initiative was prompted by residents complaints that getting plans approved from the Estate Office led to delays and that often they were harassed by officials.

But, there are apprehensions regarding the proposal. Officials fear they could change the character of the city. Architects would be given a free hand in approving plans and some of them could try to pull a fast one.

Gurgaon News.