Annamalai flays DMK govt over building plan approval fee hike

CHENNAI: BJP state president K Annamalai on Monday flayed the ruling DMK government over the hike on the self-certified building plan approval process.

He also urged the Chief Minister Stalin-led State Government to withdraw the hike for the plan approval immediately.

According to Annamalai, the DMK government has increased the property tax, registration fee, construction material prices and destroyed the dream of owning a house of the common man.

"Now, the manifold hike in building plan approval fee in all villages, town panchayats, municipalities and corporations across the state is shocking. By increasing the fee from Rs 40,000 to Rs 1 lakh for a 1,000 sqft in Chennai, the ruling DMK had made the "bribery scandal" official by claiming that the self-certified process is mandatory to get plan approval, " he said in a social media post.

The former IPS officer also questioned what kind of practice it is that the public has to provide self-certification and pay an exorbitant fee to get a plan approval.

"Does the DMK government say that if we pay a high fee, they will give permission immediately without checking the building plan, visiting the construction site in person, or if we pay a less fee, they will delay the permission process?," Annamalai questioned.