Karnataka assures to implement akrama-sakrama scheme within a month

BENGALURU: The state government on Tuesday assured that the Karnataka Town and Country Planning (Regularization of Unauthorized Development or Construction) Rules, 2013, otherwise called akrama-sakrama would be implemented at the earliest. Soon after the Karnataka high can ourt dismissed old batch of petitions challenging the 2007 rules, urban development minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, who piloted the Bill, told TOI that the government was planning to file a caveat in the court which has given the petitioners liberty to file fresh petitions on 2013 rules if they choose. "Within a month, we would like to implement the scheme. An intensive training programme for the concerned staff would be given on pros and cons of implementing the scheme," the minister said. To ensure effective implementation of the scheme the competent authority (BBMP in case of Bengaluru city) would conduct orientation training for officers and staff to be assigned with the work of scrutiny of application. "The competent authority will set up adequate number of receiving centres at various locations within its jurisdiction to receive application pertaining to the scheme. The authority can also make necessary arrangements for filing online application for regularization by self declaration," Sorake said.