Licences for old commercial buildings will continue to be renewed: Kerala minister
Representative image THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Local self-govt minister MB Rajesh has announced that licences for commercial establishments operating in buildings constructed before the implementation of building construction regulations will continue to be renewed. This directive was issued during a local adalat held in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, where the minister addressed various complaints.
The decision came in response to a complaint from Ashwathi BS of Attingal, who reported difficulties in obtaining a commercial licence for an establishment operating in a building constructed before the regulations came into effect.
She explained that the K-SMART system does not allow applications for commercial licences in such buildings, as they cannot be reclassified under current rules. The minister’s directive aims to resolve this issue by maintaining the status quo for licences in these older buildings, providing a permanent solution for those facing similar challenges.
Minister Rajesh also mentioned that a general order will be issued to apply this directive to all similar cases. Additionally, the K-SMART system will be updated to reflect these changes.
He stressed that all legally resolvable pending applications in local bodies will be addressed through district-level local adalats. These adalats offer an opportunity to understand and resolve the people’s concerns. To ensure efficient and timely resolution of applications, permanent adalat committees have been established. These committees meet every 10 days at the taluk level, every 15 days at the district level, and monthly at the state level.
Of the approximately 10,000 complaints received through this system, 66% have already been resolved. The district-level local adalats are focused on addressing the remaining unresolved complaints, with most of the nearly 1,000 complaints received in completed adalats already resolved.
In addition to resolving individual complaints, the adalat also makes general decisions. For instance, one decision was to reduce the period for selling houses built with govt financial assistance from 10 years to seven years, following a complaint received at the Ernakulam adalat. This change aims to extend this benefit to more people.
The minister highlighted the need to amend around 106 rules to eliminate complexities and ambiguities, ensuring clarity in regulations. He also assured that complaints received directly during the adalat will be promptly addressed. Food and civil supplies minister GR Anil was also present at the adalat.
