JAIPUR: Rajasthan High Court directive on Wednesday has exposed the gaps in the Rajasthan Township Policy 2010. Although the policy has stringent regulations for granting completion certificates, it also has loopholes that enable govt officials to avoid implementing the regulations. The HC directed the state govt to issue a completion certificate confirming whether the society is suitable for habitation or not.
According to the Act, the govt grants completion certificates after developers submit a certificate from registered chartered engineers. Town planners have raised concerns about the potential conflict of interest arising from the fact that these engineers are hired or sometimes even directly employed by the builders.
“On most occasions, it has been observed that these engineers submit reports favouring the builders, and the concerned Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) simply issue the completion certificate based on these reports.
The buyers are the worst sufferers as they realise that several basic infrastructures are lacking inside the township only after purchase,” said a senior town planner from UDH department.
Chandra Shekhar Parashar, a retired deputy chief town planner of the state, said instead of the registered chartered engineers, there should be a formal committee responsible for issuing completion certificates only after proper inspection.
“The committee shall comprise a member of the concerned ULB, a representative of the builder, and a representative from a third-party department like Public Works Department (PWD) or Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED),” said Parashar.
Parashar further said the committee should take periodic photographs of the site until the builders form the Residents’ Welfare Association of the township.
“During my career, I have had two experiences, one in Prithiviraj Nagar and the second in a district town. At these two sites, I personally went to inspect and found all facilities in place. However, two months after the completion certificate was issued, I found builders had dismantled a few facilities and were selling the space as plots,” Parashar added.
Experts said the draft of the Township Plan Act, 2024, appears to have overlooked the need to address these shortcomings, as no significant measures have been proposed to rectify the situation. “Following the HC directive, the state govt should consider changing provisions in the draft. The problem in Jaipur is neither the builders nor the govt agencies like to promote the concept of a completion certificate, as most plots will remain unsold until the certificate is issued,” said another official from the UDH department.
