Erect banners detailing re-classification of land, demand residents

“If a residential area is re-classified for a commercial or any other purpose, it would affect the residents in the locality as the availability of infrastructure and public utilities are limited. Further, it will also impact the environment,” VS Jayaraman, a resident of T Nagar said.

Jayaraman added that the CMDA should erect banners at the site concerned with the details of re-classification so that it reaches the residents easily. “Newspaper advertisements are not enough as most people tend to miss them. Currently, we know that re-classification of a land has been approved only after the construction starts. If the banners are erected by the agency beforehand, it will be easy for the residents to know about it,” Jayaraman said.

Meanwhile, a CMDA official said that they are uploading the details of re-classification applications on the official website apart from the newspaper advertisements. “Even though we collect the advertisement charges from the applicants, we could not erect banners as they can be easily damaged,” the official said.

Presently, the planning authority has been allowing land use conversions after receiving objections and suggestions from the residents. “During the preparation of land use map, some areas might be demarcated for a specific purpose. When a landowner with valid documents approaches us to change the land use, we have to admit the applications. However, the final orders will be issued only after the scrutiny,” the CMDA official added.