Whither building ombudsman?

HYDERABAD: The much-awaited 'building ombudsman' is still far away from becoming a reality as the state government is believed to be under pressure from a strong lobby in the construction industry not to proceed further.
The state government promised to constitute the office of a 'building ombudsman' when it framed the Revised Building Rules-2006 (GO Ms No 86) in March 2006 and again in GO Ms No.678 in September 2007. Except for making a provision in the GOs, no subsequent action has been initiated to put the ombudsman in place.
The building ombudsman, a quasi-judicial authority, is meant to deal with complaints of building violations, shortfall in building standards, specifications and safety aspects.
The appointment of an ombudsman could begin a new chapter in safeguarding the interests of property buyers who are repeatedly taken for a ride by builders bent upon deviating from the sanctioned plan of construction.
More than four years have elapsed since the proposal was mooted, but the government has not yet worked out the procedure, role and details of the functioning of the building ombudsman, official sources in the Municipal Administration and Urban Development department said.
"This is an enabling provision that we have incorporated in the Revised Building Rules. But, yes, we have not proceeded further on the proposal," a top official of the MAUD department admitted. The ombudsman would have helped the authorities in dealing with illegal constructions effectively besides regulating construction activity in urban areas, he added.
Apart from the building ombudsman, the government also wanted to constitute a Town Planning and Building Tribunal to deal with all town planning, enforcement and building issues by making necessary amendments to the AP Urban Areas (Development) Act, 1975. "This proposal too did not move any further," the MAUD sources said.
The need for a building ombudsman has become all the more relevant in the wake of the latest controversy arising out of the GHMC's move to impose a 200% penalty on violators. This had resulted in a standdoff between between GHMC officials and corporators wherein the latter opposed any kind of penalty either on the builder or property owner.
Meanwhile, MAUD minister Anam Rama Narayana Reddy said that the process of putting in place a 'building ombudsman' was underway and a formal announcement would be made once it materialised. "The state government is working on the modalities of this quasi-judicial authority. The process is underway. Once ready, this will go a long way in protecting aggrieved buyers and also regulate real-estate activity," he said.
It is high time the government gave a serious thought to put these bodies in place as they would go a long way in regulating the real-estate activity as well as protecting the interests of the buyers.