Status of an apartment complex - Residential or Mixed Use

[brijwij]

Hello

My parents are residing in an apartment in Chennai for a long time, and recently one of the house owners has decided to lease out the parking lots (he had bought more than one) in the ground floor for commercial purposes.

We were under the assumption that this was a residential complex. So I would like to check from either Chennai Corporation or Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority [CMDA] (not sure which body to approach) if the apartment complex is purely residential or allows commercial activity.

Please help me with the following queries.

1. Whom should I contact to find the status of the apartment?
2. Can I get a copy of the application form that the apartment builder submitted for the approval along with the floor plan and its intended use?
3. How should I draft the RTI query?


Regards
B

[karira]

Sponsorer

For getting the approved plan as well as for seeking copies of any permission given to carry out commercial activities - you need to submit an RTI application with the PIO of the Chennai Corporation.

Details of PIO will be available on the website of the Corporation, under the "RTI" link. Or simply call that office and ask "Who is the PIO in your office under the RTI Act 2005. I want to file a RTI application." ?

Your RTI Application has to be as per the RTI Rules and Fees forTamil Nadu.
These are available in the Guide section of the Portal: RTI Guide

Please read the other articles in the Guide section as well as the links given in the FAQ here: RTI FAQ

These will be of help to you during the RTI process.

Please also read:

Time limits specified in the RTI Act - Guide
How to submit a RTI Application - Guide

[brijwij]

Thanks Karira. I will follow the steps you have mentioned to raise the RTI query and will post the outcome of the same.

One question -> Should RTI query be time bound? Like, in my case, the apartment was constructed in
late 1980s. So the approval request from the builder and the approved plan would be at least 25 years old.

Regards
B

[karira]

No, the information has to be provided to you as long it is maintained by the public authority.
I think approved plans have to be maintained for ever.

Anyhow, your job is to seek information. Let the PIO reply and then you can decide what to do next.