The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation's (VMC) latest initiative to bring unauthorised constructions into the legal fold is facing significant public apathy. The recently launched Building Penalisation Scheme (BPS)-2025, designed to regularise buildings that deviate from approved plans, has received a tepid response from property owners in the city.
Disappointing Numbers and Revenue Concerns
As of now, a mere 160 applications have been submitted under the new scheme. This weak turnout, especially from known violators, has raised alarms within the town planning department. The civic body is banking on substantial revenue from regularisation fees, with an estimated target of ₹60 crore. This is notably higher than the ₹48 crore collected during the previous scheme in 2019.
Officials have identified approximately 700 unauthorised structures within city limits that were built in violation of sanctioned building plans. The lack of applications from these property owners is a primary concern for the authorities who were counting on this scheme to boost municipal coffers.
Official Push and Awareness Drive
VMC's Chief City Planner, K Sanjay Rathna Kumar, has outlined an aggressive plan to improve participation. The department aims to secure at least 1,500 applications before the scheme's deadline. "We will ensure all 700 property owners apply for BPS," stated Kumar. He further added that nearly 1,500 to 2,000 owners who skipped the 2019 scheme will also be brought under the ambit of BPS-2025.
To achieve this, the town planning department plans to organise special awareness sessions. These sessions will educate property owners about the benefits of regularising their structures. A key point of emphasis will be the changing landscape of home finance. "Earlier, property owners with building plan deviations used to apply for home loans through private banks. That option has now been removed, making it difficult for such owners to secure bank loans," explained CCP Kumar. The awareness campaign will sensitise building owners to apply for BPS and get their properties regularised to avoid future financial and legal hurdles.
The Road Ahead for Vijayawada's Urban Landscape
The success of BPS-2025 is crucial for both urban governance and revenue generation. The scheme represents a critical opportunity for thousands of property owners to legalise their holdings, ensuring better access to formal banking services and securing their investments. For the VMC, the revenue is essential for funding civic projects and infrastructure development.
The coming weeks will be a test of the department's outreach strategy. Whether the promised awareness drives can convert the identified 700 violators and the thousands who missed the last scheme into applicants remains to be seen. The response will ultimately determine if the civic body meets its ambitious ₹60 crore revenue target and brings a significant portion of the city's unauthorised constructions into compliance.
