The multi-storied buildings in the Second Capital City have become a common picture but the buildings also pose a high risk of disasters in the form fires which may prove a cause of destruction and deaths. And the NMC is abysmally short of the necessary and latest machineries like snorkel which comes handy in tackling high rise fires. The required machineries being very costly, the Maharashtra Government had proposed the NMC to levy tax on high rise buildings on the lines of Pune Municipal Corporation. The recovered Fund revenue then could be used for purchasing the required machineries for tackling any disaster.
Nagpur News.
“The higher the building goes the higher the taxes.” Now, the multi-storied buildings, apartments and offices of business houses once touch the 25-metre mark in Metro Region, the structures would also touch the “High Rise Building Fund ”. The Nagpur City has already been covered by the “High Fund” and thus filling the coffers of NMC in crores.
The multi-storied buildings in the Second Capital City have become a common picture but the buildings also pose a high risk of disasters in the form fires which may prove a cause of destruction and deaths. And the NMC is abysmally short of the necessary and latest machineries like snorkel which comes handy in tackling high rise fires. The required machineries being very costly, the Maharashtra Government had proposed the NMC to levy tax on high rise buildings on the lines of Pune Municipal Corporation. The recovered Fund revenue then could be used for purchasing the required machineries for tackling any disaster.
Charges range from Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 per square feet:
Now, the NMC, in accordance with Government directive, will levy the high rise charges on the buildings having the heights of 25 metres or more. The charges would be recovered at the rates from Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 per square feet from the multi-storied buildings. The then NMC Commissioner had started collecting the high rise building tax or charge and, subsequently, two buildings were assessed for the purpose. One building had even paid Rs 2 crore to NMC. However, the Standing Committee stalled the process thus pushing the issue to the General Body Meeting of the NMC. However, the General Body Meeting, too, failed to take any decision within the mandatory 90 days. Finally, the Commissioner sent the proposal to Maharashtra Government for its sanction. Now, the ball is in State Government’s court.
FIRE BRIGADE COMMITTEE MEETING:
However, a meeting of Fire Brigade Committee was held recently and its Chairman Kishore Dorle ordered the concerned authorities to start assessing the 25-metre or more high rise buildings for the Fund. The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Siddiqui, Chief Fire Officer Rajendra Uchke, Committee members and others.
The Fire Brigade, till now, has declared 30 buildings “dangerous” and has snapped water as well as power connections of 8 buildings. “Those buildings would be sealed if they are not equipped with firefighting machineries within the stipulated period,” the Chief Fire Officer Rajendra Uchke warned.
NOC FROM NMC HQ:
The Fire Brigade was earlier issuing temporary NOC, required during the first stage construction of any building. However, after receiving several complaints against the Fire Brigade for deliberate delay in issuing the NOC, the NMC Headquarters, now onwards, would issue the NOC within 7 days.
