Mangaluru, (The Hindu): The city has 7,444 buildings constructed “unlawfully”, according to Mohammed Nazir, Commissioner, Mangaluru City Corporation.

Replying to questions on the civic body stopping issuing temporary door numbers to buildings under Section 112 C (levy of penalty on unlawful building) of Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act 1976 at the monthly meeting of the council here on Monday, he said that it was a temporary measure.

He said that the said section enabled the civic body to collect double the amount of property tax from such buildings which deviated from the licensed building plan, violated set-back rules and zoning regulations.

Such buildings were issued with temporary door numbers for collecting property tax.

They got their permanent door numbers only after correcting all the deviations in construction.

But taking undue advantage of the section many have begun constructing buildings “unlawfully”. Many thought that they could get away by getting temporary door numbers. It was actually misusing a provision in the Act. Hence, the civic body has stopped issuing temporary door numbers to prevent mushrooming of such buildings in the future as the city already has 7,444 such buildings with temporary door numbers, he said.

Referring to the payment of water bill, Mayor Bhaskar K. said that now all branches of Canara Bank and Corporation Bank accepted water bill.

Some councillors said that the corporation was issuing erroneous water bills to some consumers. Some domestic consumers have got bills up to Rs. 1 lakh. It should post an official in the billing section to set right such bills.

There was no response from the Mayor to the demand.

The former Mayor Kavita Sanil said that petty shops have mushroomed in Kadri Park area, especially near the music fountain. She also questioned the corporation not taking action against those buildings which have converted their parking space for commercial activities. There are 58 such cases, she said.

Replying to a question by Leader of the Opposition BJP Premananda Shetty, the commissioner said that single site approval plan is being sought by the corporation to issue khata extract as per the directions of the government.