Bhopal: Row Over BMC's Building Permit

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A fresh controversy has erupted over the Bhopal Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) decision to reissue a building permit for a plot of land near Karbala in Kohefiza area (Khasra No. 92) of the state capital, despite clear legal and environmental constraints.

An underground water pipeline is passing below the particular under-construction building and a high-tension power line goes above. In such a location, construction is prohibited under the existing laws.

The land was also officially marked for recreational purposes under the Town and Country Planning (T&CP) norms. According to the BMC’s official reports, the original permission granted on July 8, 2022, was revoked after it was discovered that it was issued in the name of a man who had died in 2012.

Following an internal investigation, the corporation cancelled the permit, citing violations. However, the permission has now been reissued, sparking widespread complaints and allegations of rule violations.

According to the latest complaint submitted to the corporation, the plot lies within a designated recreation zone as per the Town and Country Planning (T& CP) norms. As per regulations, any recreational area must be no more than 4.94 acres, but the current plot measures 5,812 sq ft and is located in a village-designated Khasra, which under the 2012 Land Development Rules, requires T&CP approval.

The land dispute remains under the purview of the National Green Tribunal, which is currently hearing a broader case involving construction in the catchment area of the Upper lake.

BMHRC Launches DOTS Centre In Gas Victim Dominated Ginnauri Area In Bhopal

Compounding the controversy, a 5 MGD water pipeline laid in 1965, and another 600mm line laid in 2015, run beneath the disputed land. Both are operational and supply water to parts of the city. Furthermore, a high-tension power line passes directly above the site, where construction is only allowed after maintaining a 7-metre clearance on either side, a stipulation outlined by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in its November 2024 order under rules 51-52 of the MP Land Development Rules.

In defence of the recent permit, the BMC’s City Planner Anoop Goyal cited an NGT order from September 2024, stating that a factual report was due within six weeks and a joint committee had been constituted. He clarified that the new permission was merely a correction of the earlier (now cancelled) permit and any NGT order would be binding on the land owner.

Employee leader Sajid Noor has alleged that three land registry transactions were done in 1999 under his father Abid Noor’s name, despite his death in 1997. Complaints regarding this have been filed with the district administration, T&CP, Nazul and BMC.