Former Union Minister T R Baalu’s daughter-in-law building facing demolition

C Shivakumar
Chennai:

A ground plus three floors of commercial cum residential building
owned by a close relative of former Union minister and DMK leader T R
Baalu in T Nagar is facing demolition after Chennai Metropolitan
Development Authority has turned down the request to rectify the
violations and regularize it.



The building, which is owned by Sharmila Rajaa, daughter-in-law of T R
Baalu, is located at Bazullah Road, T Nagar and has been sealed on
October 4, 2013 as it violated development regulations.



It is learnt that the owner had got the permission to build stilt
floor plus two floors office-cum-residential building at plot number
11, door number 103 at Bazullah Road. However, the plan was violated
and the owner built unauthorized ground floor and third floor besides
deviations in first and second floor with respect to approved plan.



The other development regulation norms that were violated include
floor space index, dimension of the building, setback on all sides,
usage height of the building and lack of parking space. Since the
deviation was deliberate in nature, a lock and seal notice was issued
on April 23, 2013. But the owner applied for regularization of
existing ground floor plus three floors cum residential building on
May 9, 2013. This was rejected by CMDA and the building was sealed on
October 4, 2013.



Interestingly, Sharmilaa Rajaa appealed to Madras High Court  and the
court in its order closed the writ petition and directed housing
secretary to consider appeal filed by the petitioner and pass orders
thereon in accordance with law and on its own merits.



It is learnt that the owner also urged the housing secretary to reopen
the building to do rectification as per the plan. Following which the
government has urged CMDA to furnish remarks last month. It is learnt
that CMDA has turned down the request to rectify the building as it
felt the restoration and rectification as per the approved plan from
Chennai Corporation is impossible as the framed structure is
constructed on the setback space.