writingonblog uncensored: November 2011

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

writingonblog uncensored: 30 percent fall in offtake of housing loans due to...

writingonblog uncensored: 30 percent fall in offtake of housing loans due to...: Builders target business worth Rs 300 crore in Chennai expo Chennai: The real estate sector in India may be feeling the heat but builders...

30 percent fall in offtake of housing loans due to high lending rates by banks

Builders target business worth Rs 300 crore in Chennai expo

Chennai:

The real estate sector in India may be feeling the heat but builders in Chennai are optimistic and have a set a target of Rs 300 crore worth business during the three-day House Hunt expo starting from December 2 at the Chennai Trade Centre.

N Raghunathan, chairman of Builders’ Association of India, Southern Centre told reporters here on Wednesday that the expo will showcase properties concentrated in Old Mahabalipuram Road, East Coast Road, Tambaram and the untapped areas in north Chennai besides other areas.

The House Hunt Expo 2011 will bring buyers, builders and financial institution together besides will have a special legal and technical cell, said Raghunathan.

Interestingly, more than 50 builders and some from states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are participating in the expo. “There is a temporary oversupply. To offset it, we are organizing the expo,” says Raghunathan, when queried over the timing of expo when the sector is staring at inflation and rise in lending rates by the bank. Sources told Express that there is a 30 per cent fall in offtake of housing loan due to high lending rates by the bank.

Surprisingly, builders are also working out a strategy to deal with rising prices of cement. “We are building a Rs 3,500 crore cement manufacturing plant near Ananthpur which will produce five million tonnes of cement,” says co-convenor of the project and past national president and trustee of the association R Radhakrishnan.

Cement which costs about Rs 300 in the private market can be bought for Rs 190 from the factory, says Radhakrishnan, adding that only those builders who have invested in the plant can buy the cement at that rate.

Meanwhile, the builders also raised their apprehensions over the new guideline value that is expected to come into force by next month end. “If the government is raising the guidelines value it should be based on infrastructure availability and not focused on market prices,” builders said.

writingonblog uncensored: Mayor vows to replace rain-battered tar roads with...

writingonblog uncensored: Mayor vows to replace rain-battered tar roads with...: Chennai: As the tar roads laid by the then DMK regime crumble following heavy downpour that lashed the city, the state government on Wed...

Mayor vows to replace rain-battered tar roads with concrete roads

Chennai:

As the tar roads laid by the then DMK regime crumble following heavy downpour that lashed the city, the state government on Wednesday vowed to build concrete roads that would have longer life.

Addressing an event organized by Department of Planning, School of Architecture and Planning, Anna University and Institute of Town Planners India to mark the World Town Planning Day, Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraisamy said tar roads built by the previous regime will be replaced by concrete roads which will have longer life.

Currently, the focus will be to repair the roads, which would later be followed by laying concrete roads, Duraisamy said.

The mayor also rued the fact that planning laws are framed without the inclusion of the people. “People should be included when such laws are framed. This would create awareness among the people and improve the quality of life of people in Chennai,” he added.

He also said the plans by planning authorities are more theoretical in nature and is seldom implemented by the officials. Mooting the idea of developing gardens or parks on rooftops, the mayor also urged the planners to think out of box by coming up with ideas on how to utilize open space. Highlighting the need to end congestion in roads, he also suggested an example where vehicles are sold only to those people who have a parking space at home. This would solve the parking issue as well as to some extent the traffic problems, he said.

G Dattatri, former chief urban planner of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority spoke on the need for engagement of people in planning to make it sustainable. Abdul Razak Mohamed, professor and head department of planning, and ITPI Chennai chapter secretary R Shivakumar said the event is to create a platform for the town planning professionals, researchers and students to discuss about the role of communities and government in future of open spaces in cities.

Dr S Shanmugavel, registrar of Anna University, K R Tooyavan, chairman of ITPI, Monsingh D Devdas, dean of school of architecture and planning, also spoke on the occasion.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

writingonblog uncensored: TN vows to provide SMEs with quality power by Augu...

writingonblog uncensored: TN vows to provide SMEs with quality power by Augu...: Chennai: After being hit hard by rising petroleum prices and erratic power supply, there is a ray of hope for small and medium enterpris...

TN vows to provide SMEs with quality power by August 2012

Chennai:

After being hit hard by rising petroleum prices and erratic power supply, there is a ray of hope for small and medium enterprises as the state vowed to do away with the power cuts for small and medium enterprises by August 2012.

Delivering a keynote address during a conference on ‘SME Issues – Challenges and Prospects’ organized by TANSTIA-FNF Service Centre and Fur Die Freiheit here on Tuesday, chairman and managing director of Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation Limited Hans Raj Verma said the state is undertaking a massive capacity addition and erratic power supply will be a thing of past.

Verma, who was earlier Tamil Nadu Electricity Board chairman, also vowed to provide quality power to SMEs in SIDCO estate.

The official, who took the new mantle as SIDCO chairman, stressed the need for technology upgradation by SMEs to survive in the business. While globally, the focus is on technology upgradation, India way behind the south east nations in this regard.

He also vowed to provide best infrastructure facilities for industrial estates besides stressed the need for financial literacy. “In United States, there are success stories after bankruptcies. Banks should encourage the SMEs and join hands with them for a life-long partnership,” he said.

Director of MSME S Sivagnanam said the Union cabinet has given a nod on 20 per cent purchase preference to SME sector. “This will give an option of business worth five lakh crore for MSMEs,” he said.

Meanwhile, auto ancillary units in the state are hit hard by the rise in petrol prices and cost cutting measures by auto majors. Chairman of TFSC T S Dhanapalan said Tier-II auto vendors are the worst affected due to this. He also complained that many industrial units are hit hard by lack of power supply. “We get only four hours of power supply which hits the production of SMEs,” he added.

writingonblog uncensored: 3 Chennai Industrial estates to get new look by Ma...

writingonblog uncensored: 3 Chennai Industrial estates to get new look by Ma...: TN to build seven industrial estates Chennai: In a bid to realize the dreams of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to transform the state into...

3 Chennai Industrial estates to get new look by March next year

TN to build seven industrial estates

Chennai:

In a bid to realize the dreams of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to transform the state into a major manufacturing hub, the state government is focusing on agro-based industries, aerospace component manufacturing, shipbuilding besides improving the infrastructure of industrial estates.

On the sidelines of the conference on ‘SME Issues – Challenges and Prospects’, industry sources told Express on Tuesday that the focus of the state is to raise the manufacturing output of the state to 25 per cent by 2025 and create 100 million jobs in manufacturing sector.

As part of the vision, the state is planning to establish aerospace component manufacturing facility in Oragadum. “It is at the nascent stage,” sources said while declining to divulge further details.

Sources also said the state government is getting inputs from experts and the 12^th five-year plan will be ready within a month.

The state is also planning to set up industries in the 106 most backward blocs that have been left out in the earlier plan by giving more incentives.

Meanwhile, Ambattur Industrial Estate, Tirumudivakkam Industrial Estate and Thirumazhaisi Industrial Estate will get a new look by March next year. The Rs 61.10 crore Industry Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme for the three estates is being done under a special purpose vehicle Chennai Auto Ancillary Industries Infrastructure Upgradation Limited.

There is also a plan to build seven industrial estates at a cost of rs 24.78 crore in an initiative by state and center. These include Karaikudi (Rs 430 lakh), Mathur in Pudukkotai district (Rs 240 lakh), Palyapatti in Tanjore (Rs 770 lakh), Virudhnagar (Rs 330 lakh), Vaniyambadi (Rs 58 lakh), Marikudam in Theni district (Rs 300 lakh) and Thoothkudi (Rs 350 lakh). The state will also rebuild five industrial estates in Athur (Karur district), Mettur, Ganapathypalayam in Tirupur, Manimichanpatti in Coimbatore and Tiruvembur, sources added.

Monday, November 28, 2011

CMDA reverses decision to appoint new advocate

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has reversed its decision to appoint a new advocate to fight its case on illegal constructions following reversal of fortunes in the High Court where 31 of its officials were impleaded for inaction.

The decision comes in the wake of CMDA issuing orders to appoint senior advocate A L Somayajulu to defend CMDA as officials in CMDA felt that the advocate general was unable to fully involve and devote time for the case.

The issue was also mentioned in the monitoring committee but after the advocate general complained to the chief secretary, the order was withdrawn, CMDA sources told Express.

Sources said the name of Somayajulu was proposed by the CMDA to the housing and urban development secretary and vice-chairman of CMDA.

Sources said the officials had earlier felt that the advocate general is engaged in number of important government cases as such he is unable to fully involve and devote time for the CMDA case.

Advocate Somayajulu refused to comment on the issue. Surprisingly, the 31 officials impleaded in the case have hired their own lawyers to fight the case.

Sources said the officials were give freedom to hire any advocate and almost all have their own lawyers to appear for the case.

writingonblog uncensored: Build diaphragm chambers, gratings to plug leaks i...

writingonblog uncensored: Build diaphragm chambers, gratings to plug leaks i...: Chennai: The heavy downpour that lashed the city has hit the Chennai residents hard with leaking manholes flooding the streets and road ...

Build diaphragm chambers, gratings to plug leaks in Chennai manholes

Chennai:

The heavy downpour that lashed the city has hit the Chennai residents hard with leaking manholes flooding the streets and road resulting in Metro Water officials urging business establishments to construct diaphragm chambers.

Solid wastes and plastic wastes are entering into the sewerage system through inspection chambers and through manholes causing obstruction of the flow of sewage in the pipes, which results into sewage overflow, Metro Water sources said.

“The solid waste and other solids from the establishments such as hotels, restaurants, canteens, Kalyanamandapams, sweet stalls enters into the sewerage lines through inspection chambers and then enters into the manholes. This could be avoided if all the establishments build diaphragm chambers in the internal sewer line arrangement to avoid entry of solid waste into the sewerage system,” said a Metro Water source.

The diaphragm chambers are the structures constructed on the sewer line inside the establishment premises act as a filter to retain the solid wastes and prevent such entry of the solid wastes into the sewerage system that has to be cleaned periodically. Construction of the diaphragm chamber costs about Rs15,000 and can be constructed by any of the civil contractors or masons, sources said.

Metro Water also suggested gratings to be fixed in the terminal inspection chamber of the multistoried buildings in the internal sewerage system to prevent entry of solid wastes such as sanitary napkins, plastic covers and clothes into the sewerage system. “Residents of the multistoried buildings are requested to fix gratings in the terminal inspection chamber of the internal sewage disposal arrangement,” Metro water said.

Even the cattle yards are advised by the Metro water to avoid discharging of cowdung into the sewerage system and construct diaphragm chamber inside the cattle sheds.

writingonblog uncensored: Water authorities keep Chennai reservoirs 90 per c...

writingonblog uncensored: Water authorities keep Chennai reservoirs 90 per c...: Poondi reservoir expected to get 4,000 cusecs of water from Ammanapalli in AP C Shivakumar Chennai: Reservoirs in Chennai are almost filling...

Water authorities keep Chennai reservoirs 90 per cent full anticipating another rainfall

Poondi reservoir expected to get 4,000 cusecs of water from Ammanapalli in AP

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Reservoirs in Chennai are almost filling up due to heavy rains across the state and Public Works Department sources feel the water can quench the thirst of Chennaites for the next nine months.

Highly placed PWD sources told Express that reservoirs supplying water to the city are almost filling up. Poondi, Cholavaram, Red Hills, Chembarambakkam and Veeranam are 90 per cent full.

Authorities are maintaining a buffer of 90 per cent anticipating another rainfall within 10 days. PWD sources said, “that with the next rainfall we will be maintaining the dam levels at 98 per cent.” Currently, water is being discharged from all the dams as a precautionary measure, a source added.

“If we maintain the levels full, it will be dangerous for the health of dams,” PWD sources said.

Meanwhile, the inflow of Krishna Water into Poondi has been stopped from November 14. “Till now we have received 8.05 tmc feet water from June 24 to November 14 from Krishna River,” a PWD source said.

It is believed the state is expected to receive the next installment of Krishna river water in the month of January.

Meanwhile, Poondi is expected to get 4,000 cusecs of water from Krishnapuram dam in Ammanapalli. “The dam authorities in Andhra Pradesh have released surplus water to Poondi on a trial basis. It is expected that about 4,000 cusecs of water will be released into Poondi,” a PWD source said.

“Currently, we are discharging 4,528 cusecs of water from Poondi. If we get the water from Krishnapuram we will be discharging about 6,000 cusesc of water. The reservoir is nearly full and we are maintaining level below one feet. The water is being discharged into regulator, baby canal and link canal before being discharged into Kosasthalayar River and the sea,” sources said.

Interestingly, this is the highest level of discharge of water from Poondi. Although officials maintain it is too early to give the figures but agree that this was the highest discharge by Poondi reservoir.

The discharge of water into Cooum and Adyar has cleaned up the river besides the rain have improved the groundwater situation, source said.

Meanwhile of the 89 dams across the state, a dam in Erode has reached full capacity while 13 dams are 90 to below 100 per cent full. Similarly, eight dams are have 75 per cent to less than 90 per cent water while another 24 dams have water levels above 50 to 75 per cent. There are 43 dams whose water levels are stil less than 50 per cent, said another PWD source.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

writingonblog uncensored: 2,000 acres of panchami land given to SEZ, industr...

writingonblog uncensored: 2,000 acres of panchami land given to SEZ, industr...: Express News Service Chennai: More than 2,000 acres of panchami land has been handed over to special economic zones (SEZs), industrial...

2,000 acres of panchami land given to SEZ, industries

Express News Service

Chennai:

More than 2,000 acres of panchami land has been handed over to special economic zones (SEZs), industrial parks and other projects, according to Dalit Mannurumai Kootam convenor Nicholos.

Addressing a consultation on retrieval of panchami land by scheduled castes using data collected under the Right to Information Act on Tuesday, Nicholos said that despite dalits politicians having the political will, they have failed to win back the panchami land.

All political manifestos talk about panchami land but hardly has any political parties raised the issue after the elections, Nicholos said.

Currently, about 45,067 people own about 1.26 lakh acres of land, according to information available through RTI.

Jeeva, the director of State Institute of Rural Development said that the information provided under the Right to Information (RTI) Act is far from accurate. “Officials are giving what is in record. Interestingly, the records show it is in the name of dalits but when one goes to the field it is found that the members of other community own it.

He alleged that during the updation of land records in 1954, the pattas of panchami land were changed. He said there is need to go through the A register to verify the details on panchami land.

Interestingly, the panchami land came into being after British government passed a law providing land to depressed classes. “For the first 10 years those who were assigned land should not by any means sell or mortgage the land and after 10 years if they want to sell, mortgage or lease the assigned land, they can do it with only other dalit. And panchami land transfers that do not abide by the above mentioned conditions would not be considered as legal.

The census of 1991 revealed landlessness of dalits in Tamil Nadu. Of the dalits in Tamil Nadu, 71.7 per cent were agricultutal labourers and 17 per cent were cultivators. Dalits who constitute 19.18 per cent of the total population cultivate only 7.1 per cent of total operational holdings where as non-dalits who constitute 76 per cent of the population operate 91.7 per cent of land. Dalit activists claim that 70 per cent of panchami land is owned by other communities.

Nicholos said the panchami land could be retrieved only through mass mobilization. “A single man can’t get back the land despite court injunctions,” he added.

writingonblog uncensored: TN salt production dips as saltpans slowly vanish ...

writingonblog uncensored: TN salt production dips as saltpans slowly vanish ...: C Shivakumar Chennai: Salt production in the state has nose-dived due to acquisition of salt lands for industrial purposes, according ...

TN salt production dips as saltpans slowly vanish from coastline

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Salt production in the state has nose-dived due to acquisition of salt lands for industrial purposes, according to a study ‘Working and Living Conditions of Salt Pan Workers in Tamil Nadu’.

Saltpans are slowly vanishing from the coastline and are replaced by power plants, special economic zones, harbours and various other industries. “The acquisition of saltpans for development projects should be stopped or else it will affect the salt production besides the basic existence of an estimated 50,000 workers across the state,” says R Geetha, the co-ordinator of National Campaign for Unorganised Workers.

Interestingly, both government and private lands are used in salt production. There are no clear records of salt production lands in Tamil Nadu and it is estimated that about 60,000 acres are under production. Out of which more than 19,000 acres are Central Government owned, making Tamil Nadu as one of the biggest government owned land under salt production.

But then the state, which ranked second for salt production in the country, is slowly losing its stranglehold as salt production has dipped from 604 lakh tonnes in 2006 to 508 lakh tonnes till 2009. Interestingly, even the common salt production fell as there was only 16.52 lakh tonnes production in 2008-2009 as against the 20.50 lakh tonnes production in 2006-2007, according to the study quoting government data.

When Express contacted Tamil Nadu Salt Corporation officials, they did not respond.

The acquisition of saltpans for development projects has not only affected the production but also the workers. In Tuticorin, more than 20 development projects, including three power plants, are being lined up near the coastal areas and this will hit about 10,000 workers, says Krishnamurthy, the district secretary of Tamil Nadu Manual Workers Union.

“In Ennore, over 3,000 acres of salt lands have been handed to the state government for thermal power station and special economic zones resulting in loss of livelihoods of salt workers,” the study added.

Even the saltpan workers are denied basic amenities and the welfare schemes hardly reach them. The number of beneficiaries under state’s various welfare schemes is inadequate. “Under the Namak Mazdoor Awaas Yojana, about 5,000 workers throughout India are being included and under the Child Reward Scheme, only 100 workers throughout India (including 20 in Tamil Nadu) are included,” the study added.

writingonblog uncensored: Another desal plant to provide fresh water to Kood...

writingonblog uncensored: Another desal plant to provide fresh water to Kood...: C Shivakumar Chennai: Another desalination plant will be constructed soon to meet the fresh water re...

Another desal plant to provide fresh water to Koodankulam nuke plants

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Another desalination plant will be constructed soon to meet the fresh

water requirement of Koodankulam nuclear plant, according to reliable

sources.

Highly placed sources in Indian nuclear industry told Express that the

new plant is expected to produce two million gallons of water per day.

The work on the desalination plant will begin in the next five to six

months, the sources said.

Interestingly, this will be second desalination plant after the first

was commissioned in 2009. The need to build desalination plants rose

after the nuclear industry faced problems to provide fresh water

source for the reactor following protest from the locals over the use

of nearby Pechiparai reservoir.

Sources said bids for the desalination plant has already come in and

it is under valuation.

Currently, two Light Water Reactors (LWRs), each of 1000 MW at a

Koodankulam are at advanced stages of completion. One will be

commissioned around July this year and another one will be in place

next year, sources added. Interestingly, Tamil Nadu government will be

buying power from Koodankulam nuclear plant to fulfill the power

requirements of the state once the first reactor goes critical.

A total of six Russian reactors will come up at Kudankulam. While

Russia will provide the equipment and components for the six reactors,

the Nuclear Power Corporation of India will build them.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

writingonblog uncensored: Reverse migration as Indian students to US dip whi...

writingonblog uncensored: Reverse migration as Indian students to US dip whi...: C Shivakumar Chennai: Indian students in the United States has declined by one per cent but surprisingly the country has emerged as one of...

Reverse migration as Indian students to US dip while American students to India rise by 44 pc

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Indian students in the United States has declined by one per cent but surprisingly the country has emerged as one of the most preferred destination for US students to study abroad, according to a US official.

Students from India, the second largest international cohort in the United States, decreased by one percent to a total of nearly 104,000, but India is soon becoming a preferred destination for US students with a rise in 44 per cent of American students taking up short-term courses in various streams in Indian institutes, according to a US official.

The preferred destinations for US students are Madurai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Delhi, Mysore, Dharamshala, Mumbai, Kolkata and Varanasi, said Adam J Grotsky, executive director United States – India Educational Foundation (USIEF) on the sidelines of US consul general Jennifer McIntyre delivering a speech on ‘Celebrating the Shared Educational Goals of US and India.’

The students prefer arts and science courses besides engineering institutes. “They prefer short-term courses on social sciences, anthropology and technology besides religion,” said Grotsky.

The rise in US students visiting India is due to the fact that the country has a huge market and a growing economy. The future generation is focusing on India as it is strategically import for United States, he said.

While slightly declining in numbers, students from India still represent 14 percent of all international students in US higher education, with tens of thousands more students from India in US higher education than in any other host country.

Interestingly, Chinese student enrollment in the United States rose to a total of nearly 158,000 students, or nearly 22 per cent of the total international student population, making China the leading sending country for the second year in a row.

Meanwhile, the number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by five per cent to 723,277 during the 2010-11 academic year, according to the Open Doors report, which is published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in partnership with the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

writingonblog uncensored: Nine people died of multiple myeloma, bone cancer ...

writingonblog uncensored: Nine people died of multiple myeloma, bone cancer ...: C Shivakumar Chennai: Nine people, including three employees working in Kalpakkam nuclear reactor and six of the families of employees w...

Nine people died of multiple myeloma, bone cancer in Kalpakkam nuke plant in 16 years

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Nine people, including three employees working in Kalpakkam nuclear reactor and six of the families of employees working in the establishment, died of multiple myeloma and bone cancer, according to Department of Atomic Energy.

Reacting to a RTI plea by National Alliance of People’s Movement state youth coordinator Y Aruldoss, the DAE in its reply on November 17, 2011 said that five people died of multiple myeloma, a rare bone marrow cancer arising from plasmocytes, in the last 16 years.

They include three employees who died after retirement and two family members, the DAE said. Interestingly, two cases of multiple myeloma were detected while the employees were in service and one was detected after retirement, the DAE report said.

Similarly, the DAE report said four family members of the employees working in Kalpakkam nuclear reactor died of bone cancer.

Currently, there are two family members of the employees, who still have multiple myeloma, and two, who have bone cancer, the report said.

However, there is no information on the deaths of children died and affected by multiple myeloma and bone cancer, DAE stated.

When Express contacted Dr V Shanta, chairperson of Adyar Cancer Research Institute and a member of the Union government expert panel, with the figures released by DAE, she said multiple myeloma is not going up in the cancer registry and refused further comments.

Dr Pugazhendi said the government should do a similar study done by Electric Power Research Institute in California in November 2011 which suggested recommendations for Nuclear Regulatory Commission and National Academy of Sciences in United States.

Stressing the need for compensation based on Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Programme Act, signed into law in Oct 30, 2000 by then US President Bill Clinton, Pugazhendi said multiple myeloma is compensated under this law.

Three people died of multiple myeloma within a span of 1.5 year, which is statistically significant as reported by the media.

Monday, November 21, 2011

writingonblog uncensored: DCR violations by six illegal buildings resulted i...

writingonblog uncensored: DCR violations by six illegal buildings resulted i...: C Shivakumar Chennai: The traffic chaos and lack of space for pedestrians in the busy Ranganathan Street could be blamed on the six ille...

DCR violations by six illegal buildings resulted in T Nagar traffic chaos

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The traffic chaos and lack of space for pedestrians in the busy Ranganathan Street could be blamed on the six illegal buildings in T Nagar that were locked and sealed by Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority last month.

The crowded street, which hardly has any space for pedestrians, is the result of the six buildings hardly constructing any parking slots that they should have done as per the development control rules.

Sources told Express on Monday that the six buildings – Rathna stores, The Chennai Silks, Sri Kumaran Gold House, Jayachandran Textiles, P R Rathinam (Rathna Stores) and SAT Complex never followed the development control rules and nearly had 100 per cent violations.

The SAT Complex should have slots for 21 cars as per requirement of DCR but in reality it hardly has any. Similarly Rathna Stores should have car park for 52 cars but then it never built any.

The worst violators are Chennai Silks who should have parking space for 99 cars as mentioned in the plan. “As per the DCR norms, it should have parking slots for 99 cars. Now if the 99 cars don’t have parking space this will automatically create parking woes as well as chaos in the area during festival season,” a CMDA source reasoned. Similarly, Sri Kumaran Gold House never built a parking lot for 76 cars as required by the DCR. Similar is the case of Jayachandran Textiles and Rathna Stores who deviated from the original plans by not building any parking lots.

The buildings totally violated the development control rules, including floor space index besides front setbacks, side setbacks and rear setbacks. It also did not have no-objection certificate from the fire service department, sources said.

Some of the other major violation is the floor space index (FSI). All the shops should have FSI of 1.50 as per the DCI norms but then the six buildings never followed any. CMDA sources said the buildings had double the FSI prescribed under the DCR norms while some had nearly three to four times the required FSI.

The buildings include Rathna stores, whose FSI exceed by 6.50 to what was prescribed as the DCR norms besides Chennai Silks (6.48 FSI) and Sri Kumaran Gold House (6.81FSI).

Similarly, Jayachandran Textiles, Rathna Stores hardly had any front, side or rear setbacks which as per DCR norms should be seven metres each.

Box:

Violators Parameters As per DCR As on site Violations/ Deviation

SAT complex Front set back 3.50 Nil Less by 3.50

Side setback East 3.50 Nil Less by 3.50

Side Setback West 3.50 Nil Less by 3.50

Rear Setback 3.50 Nil Less by 3.50

FSI 1.50 (max) 3.00 Excess by 1.50

Parking 21 cars Nil Less by 21 cars

Rathna Stores Front set back 7.00 Nil Less by 7.00

Side setback East 7.00 Nil Less by 7.00

Side Setback West 7.00 Nil Less by 7.00