Rajuk teams start collecting info

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha’s 24 vigilance teams on Monday launched a survey to collect information about high rises in different areas in the capital on Monday for preparing a list of buildings constructed flouting the National Building Code.
The teams under eight zones of the capital’s development control authority visited over 150 high rises in Gulshan, Banani, Uttara, Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi, Motijheel, Savar, Gazipur. 
Rajuk chairman Md Abdur Rahman also visited a couple of buildings in Gulshan, Banani and Uttara.
They initiated the move following housing minister SM Rezaul Karim’s order.
The minister asked the authorities to prepare a list of deviators of the building code and nature of deviations, including, unapproved extension in 10-storey and taller buildings and also find out whether the fire and other safety systems are in place.
The move came following the devastating fire in the 23-storey FR Tower that killed 26 people including a Sri Lankan citizen and left over 100 injured on March 28.
Rajuk officials said they were asking 20 questions to the owners of the buildings by random sampling.
Rajuk, however, does not have any data on the total number of buildings with 10 stories or above in the capital, said development control director of the agency Begum Tanjila Khanam. 
A Rajuk-authorised officer preferring anonymity said they did not have expertise in measuring lacks in safety measures, especially fire fighting capacity. 
‘We usually ask the building owners to produce documents, namely fire safety certificates and papers with dates of last fire drill,’ said the officer adding that they were facing problems collecting so many information in short time. 
The housing minister, Rezaul Karim, however, expressed his determination of completing the list in the scheduled time and making it public. 
‘We discussed the issue today in the cabinet chaired by the prime minister and got her approval,’ the minister told New Age.
‘After completing the list we will give reasonable time to the owners for taking corrective measures as per our guidelines,’ he said.
And those who would not take corrective measures as per the guidelines within the scheduled time would have to pay for demolishing the unauthorised expansions, he said.
‘We will also file cases against the owners for flouting the building code,’ he said.
Rezaul also warned that drastic actions would be taken against the Rajuk officials if any of them were found guilty for not preparing the list.
‘Drastic action will be taken against the Rajuk officials and building owners, if we get any complaint against any official or if we find that they had ignored any deviation for their own benefit,’ he said. 
The minister said that the officials who had helped the owners to defy the building code during the construction works would be identified and punished.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net