Officials’ failure to communicate new building rules inconveniences residents

For the past couple of months, Sheena Philip, a resident of Perur Chettipalayam, has been running from pillar to post to have the Chettipalayam Panchayat assess her property for tax.Three months after

For the past couple of months, Sheena Philip, a resident of Perur Chettipalayam, has been running from pillar to post to have the Chettipalayam Panchayat assess her property for tax.

Three months after submitting application, the Panchayat officials had told her in September that she would have to first pay building plan renewal fees because the plan approval she had at the time of starting construction was valid for only a year and that she had not completed the work within the time frame, said Ms. Philip.

As she dug deeper into the issue to gain clarity, the resident said she realised the Panchayat ought to have given her building plan approval for five years and not a year and the local body’s demand for renewal had no legal backing.