Haryana clips JEs’ powers, architects to now issue occupancy certificates
Bhartesh Singh Thakur
Chandigarh, November 17
Clipping the powers of Junior Engineers (JEs), the Town and Country Planning Department (TCPD), Haryana, has allowed architects, registered with the Council of Architecture, to issue occupation certificates (OCs) for residential houses in licensed colonies.
Earlier, JEs would visit the site and prepare reports for the issuance of OCs by the department. As per the standard procedure issued on Wednesday, the architect will fill a template with the facts and self-certify that the building is complete in all respects and fit for the grant of an OC. The architect has to obtain a certificate of XEN, Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), for offering the service. He will take into account the latest composition policy and certify that composition charges are paid.
The architect will also confirm that there is no non-compoundable violation and that the work at the site is in order. The OC shall be issued within eight working days from the receipt of the application from the owner.
If there is any non-compoundable violation or the work is not in order, the architect will be responsible to get these rectified. “There may be a chance that architects/engineers are not following the professional ethics while issuing the OC under self-certification… The District Town Planner (DTP) concerned or the DTP (Planning), wherever separately posted, shall be liable to check 10 per cent of the total OCs received from the architects,” read the directions, dated November 16, issued by TL Satyaprakash, Director General, Town and Country Planning.
In case any deficiency is found in terms of non-compoundable violation or incomplete work, the DTP concerned will issue a show-cause notice and, if required, blacklist the architect/engineer concerned and withdraw the OC. The DTP can also send a recommendation to the Council of Architecture for the cancellation of the architect’s licence.
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