OSR lands hardly used for public
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Most of the open space reserve (OSR) lands acquired from IT firms, posh hotels and malls by the city corporation are still controlled by the private firms and the public complain that they are not allowed to utilise the lands.
The civic body approximately has over Rs 5,000 crore worth OSR lands and most of them have been converted into corporation parks.
Following complaints, the top brass of the corporation on Friday passed orders to zonal officers to issue show-cause notices to violators.
In former mayor M. Subramanian’s opinion, in several cases, the recovered lands are not put to public use.
The private firms, while handing over the OSR lands, submit a request letter to the civic body seeking permission to develop a park and maintain it. But the private security at some of these sites deny access to the public.
“OSR lands should be converted into parking lots so that the land would be put to optimum use, reducing congestion,” said Mr Saidai Ravi, former opposition floor leader in the corporation. He also alleged that major political parties were silent over the OSR land issue.
“The corporation acquired OSR lands from several IT companies in Guindy, but they are hardly put to public use,” rued Mr Mohammad Habibullah, a resident of Ekattuthangal.
“Our field officials are looking into complaints regarding OSR lands. If the problem persists, the corporation would demarcate the OSR land with compound wall and provide a common entrance for the public,” corporation commissioner D. Karthikeyan said.
According to corporation sources, property owners with construction below 3,000 metre square would not fall under OSR land concept.
Those who have land ranging between 3,000 and 10,000 metre square should either provide 10 per cent land or pay an equivalent amount as compensation.
And those who have land above 10,000 metre square should compulsorily hand over 10 per cent of the total land to the corporation.
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