CMDA facing shortage of chief planners

Completion certificate power restored to CP, SP

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority is facing shortage of chief planners even as the planning body has restored the powers of issuing completion certificates and also refund of security deposit of all buildings to chief planner or senior planner.

The power was earlier vested with member security.

Sources told Express that the move by CMDA comes in the wake of the planning body facing a shortage of chief planners.

CMDA has strength of five chief planners but now two posts are vacant and the third will fall vacant on February 29 when chief planner C Palanivelu retires.

Sources said the government is not able to fill the post as there are no suitable candidates.

Although there are few eligible candidates but then they have some charges attached to them. Sources said although CMDA has dropped charges against some of the candidates, the government has yet to give a green light. Until a Government Order is issued to this effect, CMDA will be facing shortage of chief planners.

Now the senior planner enforcement cell will have the power to issue completion certificate for multi-storeyed buildings and IT buildings besides the issuance of completion certificate for special buildings, institutional buildings and refund of security deposits.