Complaints raised by people during local adalats have been instrumental in bring about changes to general rules in Kerala, Local Self-Government Minister M.B. Rajesh has said. The Minister made the statement while inaugurating the district local adalat at Kannur Indoor Stadium, Mundayad, during an event organised to mark the third anniversary of the State government.
Mr. Rajesh said adalats served as a platform to deliver justice to those ensnared by misinterpretations or rigid applications of statutes and laws. He said the adalats made public decisions benefiting tens of thousands of people, with considerations often extending beyond legal technicalities to include humanitarian factors.
“Adalats are not venues for validating violations of the law, but they do offer concessions where necessary,” the Minister said. He said that between 86% and 90% of the complaints brought before adalats had been resolved in favour of the complainants.
Several pivotal public decisions have emerged from individual complaints filed in adalats. One notable decision was the waiver of compound interest on property tax and rent arrears in local self-government bodies. Previously, some local bodies levied 2% interest on arrears monthly, compounding the interest in a way that imposed an unfair financial burden on taxpayers and tenants. The practice had been discontinued, thanks to the intervention prompted by an adalat complaint, he said.
In response to another complaint, the Minister announced amendments to bye-laws to ease the front yard setback requirement for houses up to 100 sq. m built on land up to two cents within corporation or municipal boundaries. The setback was reduced to one metre if the front yard is up to three metres in depth, recognising the rapid urbanisation of Kerala and the scarcity of land in urban areas. This change is intended to remove barriers to home ownership in the State.
Further, the government has decided to waive property tax interest until 2024-25 for houses up to 80 sq. m used as the owner’s residence. The decision also stems from complaints raised in adalats. Additionally, houses with an area of less than 60 sq. m will no longer be subject to property tax, even if they have obtained a unauthorised (UA) number, as per a directive that extends tax exemptions to these smaller homes.
Mr. Rajesh also announced that buildings constructed on plots adjacent to streets less than 75 metres in length, and closed on one side, would receive relaxed distance provisions. With written consent from all land and building owners using the street, the setback can be reduced to one metre.
Addressing issues related to housing permits, the Minister stated that applications for constructing homes on plots less than five cents in size should not be rejected due to the lack of access permission to national highway service roads, acknowledging the difficulty and delays in obtaining such permissions.
Additionally, the time limit for selling homes under the Life Bhawan Yojana has been reduced from ten years to seven years, based on adalat feedback. Moreover, new rules will ensure that plot owners do not lose public facilities due to the illegal activities of real estate developers, with amendments to prevent denial of building permits for small plots.
In a final measure, the Minister announced the waiver of supervision charges for obtaining fitness certificates for special schools, old age homes, and homes for the destitute, reflecting the government’s commitment to addressing public grievances raised in adalats.
