AKRAMA SAKRAMA

AKRAMA SAKRAMA

Akrama means violation and Sakrama means regularisation. In this scheme, only violations of building and urban development is included. Violation from sanctioned building plans, unauthorised buildings, unauthorised layouts and land use violations have taken place on a large scale in Bengaluru Metropolitan Area due to lack of enforcement by Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). The Scheme is made applicable to all urban areas in Karnataka. In this article details about the bad situation prevailing in Bengaluru is dealt with. There are too many cases of unauthorised developments within the built up area of the city and suburbs. The helpless State Government without action to prevent unauthorised developments and the officials who colluded with the violators proposed the Akrama Sakrama Scheme during the S.M. Krishna’s Government in the year 2004. The Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1961 (KTCP Act),  which has overriding provisions compared to the Bangalore City Corporation Act, 1964, and the Bangalore Development Authority Act, 1976, was amended to provided for regularisation. 321-A of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act was also amended to implement the amended provisions of the KTCP Act. The Act and rules framed specified the nature and extent of unauthorised developments, constructions that would be regularised, the procedure and fines to be levied for regularization of various violations. Since then, though the successive governments pursued the scheme, it was not possible to implement the scheme due to agitations by the rule minded citizens, Citizens Action Forum (CAF), and the residents welfare associations (RWAs). The BJP Government got the Bill passed by the legislature. The Governor of Karnataka rejected BJP government’s request for consent to the bill. The BJP government also tried to get an ordinance passed by the legislature in the year 2010, consent for which was again rejected by the Governor. The present Congress Government proposed an ordinance in May 2013 which was approved by the same Governor with riders. Government is said to have incorporated the Governor’s directions and also the directions of the Supreme Court in Judgements of such schemes by the Orissa and Tamil Nadu Governments. The scheme is pending in the High Court of Karnataka since the year 2007. The Law Minister of the present Government stated that the scheme as modified, will be people friendly. How it is people friendly is not understood as the citizens are affected with lack of ventilations, privacy, traffic problems, etc. The scheme is only violators friendly. Decision of the High Court will have to be seen. The High Court directed on 23.3.2015 that the applications to be received may not be processed till the decision of the court on the scheme.

The present revised scheme provides that the applications are to be made from 23.4.2015 upto 22.3.2016 (One year). The applications should be in respect of buildings built earlier than 19.10.2013. Regularisation will include violations in respect of:

- Land Use

- Unauthorised layouts

- Set back violations, and 

- F.A.R violations

For residential buildings, only upto 50% violations will be considered. For non-residential buildings, only upto 25% violations will be considered.

Applications for land use violations will be available in BDA, and for other urban areas with the respective urban development authorities. This will be one time regularisation based on self declaration by the violator. If the application is rejected, the fine remitted will be refunded within a period of 60 days. If there are so many violations, the applicant will have to get the land use violation regularised first and later apply for regularisation of building with other violations.

A. Fine for unauthorised layouts

Site Bangalore Other Other 

area urban corporations areas

Less than 60sqmtrs Rs. 40/sqmtr Rs.30/sqmtr Rs.20/sqmtr

60-120 sq.mtrs Rs. 160/sqmtr Rs.80/sqmtr Rs. 50/sqmtr

Above 120 sq.mtrs Rs.600/sqmtr Rs.250/sqmtr Rs.150/sqmtr

B. Regularisation of set back and FAR violations in residential and non-residential buildings.

% of Violation Regularisation fee/sqmtr of total violated area as percentage of market value of land

a) Residential upto 25% 6%

More than 25% upto 50% 8%

b) Non-residential upto 12.5% 20%

More than 12.5% upto 25% 35%

Conclusion:

All the efforts made by Government since 1960 for planned development of urban area by preparation of statutory master plans is defeated as the violations are affecting the land use zoning, building regulations, etc.

The Effects:

Definitely, the Scheme is not going to be one time measure but many times affair by successive state governments.

During construction, violating the sanctioned plan or land use zoning, the violators may tell the officials, if at all a strict official is working in BBMP, that he will get the violations regularized under the Akrama-Sakrama Scheme.

The expected revenue of Rs. 5000 Cr by levy of fine will be a dream. Majority of the violators may not come forward to get the developments/buildings regularized. What Government may get will be hardly Rs.1000 Cr, that too over a period of time. In the suburban areas, the applications will be for buildings here and there and not according to a compact area to enable redevelopment.

It is difficult to expect that BBMP will provide/improve the infrastructure for the benefit of the people living in such sites. The bad position will continue as existing. They can expect only street lighting after a few years. Many of the existing suburban areas in the BBMP limits have no water supply and sewage connections, parks and playgrounds, etc. 

How the violators can expect improvement in the unauthorised colonies even if some of them get regularised.

The officials who collude with the violators will not have discipline as so far such officials are not punished. Even if one batch of officials are transferred from BBMP, new batch of such officials only will come to BBMP to continue allowing violations. They will have no fear of disciplinary actions for allowing violations.

Can we expect quality of life in Bangalore if such regularisation schemes are considered by Government? Citizens welfare associations and civic analysts will approach courts against such schemes. Media’s awareness reports will have to be continued in the interest of planned development of the City at least in the future.

Last but not the least, the Government must act stringently against erring officials and take strict disciplinary actions against them. 

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DELIGHTFUL EXTERIORS TO BUILDING

DELIGHTFUL EXTERIORS TO BUILDING

Treating the facade of a built structure with accessories can beautify an ordinary exterior turning it into a visual delight. Cladding is one treatment that can transform a wall from just a vertical feature to something of character form and proportion in any home. Normally, the front part of a building receives treatment as it is the part visitors are greeted with. Where a building is situated in a large estate and is open to view from all sides elevation treatment can be given to the whole exterior.

Very often there are multiple uses for accents. For instance when a concrete or brick wall is covered with flamed or polished granite, the wall is protected by the hard stone, maintenance costs are reduced and it increases the elegance and splendor through the elevation. If it is desirable to decrease the feeling of expansiveness and hardness of this material one can have grooves and striations to divide the whole into smaller parts. There can be colored grouts or metal strips such as brass to produce an effect and to create a focus on framed areas. Differently colored granite will induce interest and lessen the dullness of a solitary material.

For an ethnic feel clay tiles can be used to clad walls with a theme running through the entire home. One can utilize translucent glass blocks to form a wall that is used at the entrance and leads into an enclosed, dimly-lit space giving privacy. Simple doors and windows are made into special openings through the treatment of fenestration. The shape and size of the frames and shutters, the security grills and the chajjas lends a visual decorative quality.

Though they are flat traditionally, when they are sloping they can change the architectural face into a traditional or Grecian one if decorated with a pediment and pilasters. An appealing extra is a window box for plants. The garden is elevated to eye level where it can be seen and gives an accent to the opening with lovely greens and flowers. The grills usually of cast iron or mild steel or aluminum can be very ornamental for traditional style or simple and smart for contemporary homes.

When the built form is dynamic through the alteration of profile heights or a varied mixture of solids and voids or through combining flats and slopes accents are possible. The illumination should create a play of shadows making the simple facade into a splendid one.

Pillars, patios, pergolas and water bodies can be distinct pieces or merged with the building. Design languages with foreign elements such as skylights, dormer windows and a faux fireplace can add drama. You can treat these particular items in a different way to give them an emphasis thus upgrading their effect. For impact use textured paints.

Ornamental eaves for sloped roofs, moldings and cornices along walls and ceilings, and creepers growing up stone walls are some ideas to add to the outer design plan. Mosaics and murals, exposed brick walls and artifacts can also be incorporated. Accents should be used moderately to add refinement. 

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DEFINING NECESSITY OF AN APARTMENT SOCIETY

DEFINING NECESSITY OF AN APARTMENT SOCIETY

In Bangalore, rapid growth of the Apartment culture is seen for the last five years. Now-a-days the educated people generally opine that owning an Apartment is safer than an independent house.

After the hectic day in office or business, one would like to socialize for some time. In such case, Apartment living offers excellent opportunities for group living with a diverse culture.

Object of the society:

The motto behind forming the society is to build harmonial relations with a bond of common habit and common usage and inculcate the fellow feelings, which itself transforms into a new community wherein they live as each is for all and all for each. Further such societies are also necessary for maintaining Electricity, Water Supply, maintenance of lift, Security, Cleaning of the premises, Parking, Collection of Garbage, preserving various statutory and accounting records. Apart from this, the society also looks after affairs, which includes economic betterment and social welfare.

Constitution of the society:

After completion of the construction of an Apartment, Owner of the flats/residents of such apartment, form an association, to take care of the needs of the residents and maintenance of common facilities. The society must consist of minimum of 7 members. In addition to the above, Managing Committee should consist of at least one or two lady members for effective governance of the society.

Mandatory registration of the society:

After formation of such societies, the same has to be mandatory registered under the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act or Societies Act. Since most of such societies are functioning without getting it registered, it is advisable to register in order to give legal sanctity and clarity for their activities.

Participation of the members:

The members of the society should actively and jointly participate in casting the vote for appointment of the members to the Managing Committee.  They should participate in every General Body meeting and appoint the Managing Committee members who are honest, disciplined, duty conscious, and hard working. Generally, retired officers are preferred to be employed as the Manager of the said committee, as the presence of the aforesaid aspects and qualities are essential to run the Society efficiently who can carry out their duties at the best of their abilities.

The members of the managing committee should not have the impression that they are the landlords of the Society. Further, they should also not dictate their own terms and conditions or their say in the Society but have to keep in mind that they are the respected persons duly appointed by the members of the Society to look after the interest of members of the Society.

The following points are required to be covered in their bye-laws in order to practically sort out issue, which may arise now and then such as:

1. The administration of every property shall be governed by bye-laws, a true copy of which shall be annexed to the Declaration.  No modification or amendment to the bye-laws are valid, unless set forth in an amendment to the Declaration and such amendment is duly recorded and a copy thereof is duly filed with the competent authority.

2. The bye-laws shall provide for the following matters, namely:-

a. The election for the  Board of Managers should be among the apartment owners and that the terms of at least one-third of the members of such Board shall cease  annually; the powers and duties of the Board, the compensation, if any, of the members of the Board, the method of removal of the elected  members from the office of the Board; and whether or not the Board may engage the services of a Secretary, a Manager or Managing Agent, and specifying which of the powers and duties granted to the Board by this Act or otherwise may be delegated by the Board to either or both of them;

b. Method of calling meetings of the apartment owners; what percentage, if other than a majority of Apartment owners, shall constitute a quorum;

c. Election of a President should be from among members of the Board of Managers and he/she shall preside over the meetings of such Board and of the Association of Apartment Owners;

d. Elected  Secretary  should keep a minutes book wherein resolutions shall be recorded;

e. Elected Treasurer should keep the financial records and books of accounts;

f. Maintenance, repair and replacement of the common areas and facilities and payment therefore;

g. Manner of collecting from the apartment owners their share of the common expenses;

h. Designation and removal of persons employed for the maintenance, repair and replacement of the common areas and facilities;

i. The method of adopting and of amending administrative rules and regulations governing the details of the operation and use of the common areas and facilities;

j. Such restrictions on the requirements respecting the use and maintenance of the apartments and the use of the common areas and facilities not set forth in the Declaration, as are designed to prevent unreasonable interference with the use of their respective apartments and of the common areas and facilities by the several apartment owners; and

k. The percentage of the votes required to amend the bye-laws.

3. The bye-laws may also provide for the following matters, namely:-

a. Subject to the provisions of this Act, provision for regulating transfer or partition of any apartment and percentage of undivided interest in the common areas and facilities appurtenant to such apartment, subject to such terms and conditions as may be specified in the bye-laws;

b. Provisions enabling the Board of Managers to retain certain areas of the building and lease to non-residents for commercial purposes and for distribution of resulting proceeds to the apartment owners as income or application thereof in reduction of their common charges for maintaining the building; and

c. Any other provisions, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, relating to the audit and accounts and administration of the property and annual and special general meetings, annual report and the like.

These guide lines are the golden rules which are required to be followed for the smooth functioning of the apartment societies. The duty also lies on the co-owners of the apartment to duly co-operate and coordinate with the functioning of the society which in turn contributes for their peaceful enjoyment.

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Decorating Home Interior

Decorating Home Interior

Interior Decoration art is not an elusive and impossible one to learn or acquire. And also it is not expensive so that more money is consumed, with some basic and fundamental tips and ideas, one could proceed without any hesitation or fear the great art of decorating. The only requirement possesses a sense of selecting apt colors and placing things among proper structure, design and color combination.

If you are a keen observer, then use your keen sense of observation to cultivate your knowledge of interior decorating and increase your awareness of how color and light, line and form and space and material shape our world. The first step to start any decorating project is taking an objective inventory of what you already own, the way you seasonally review the clothes in your closet, access the furnishings in your rooms.

Whatever the time projection for decorating your home - three months, six months or longer, you need to make a work-in-progress plan and set of series of reasonable goals. This simple written plan will help you remain on track.

Always balance practically with panache. In decorating terms, panache is that personal touch you give the ordinary, by turning it into something uniquely your own. Adding fringed shades to an average chandelier; placing a casual wicker rocker next to a prized antique or daring to paint walls a dramatic fuchsia when everything else is being are a few examples of how to personalize your surroundings with your own dash of panache. And the best thing is that this 'panache' or does not have to be expensive. A vast variety of wall finishes, wall textures, motifs, wallpapers, borders and price ranges can also add beauty and drama to the rooms without breaking your bank account!

Giving change a chance requires patience and trust. Just remember that all change even for the better requires a period of adjustment. Put your mind at ease about a few decorating misconceptions the most common one being that because your home is on the smaller side of your decorating budget is small, you will not able to create a luxurious ambience.

Many people who have small apartments have open and spacious looking interiors because of the right colors of veneers and lamination, along with the right selection of wall paints and fabric colors. And their interiors have achieved a stylish and chic look at a budget which doesn't bum their pockets. They are not deprived of living in a stylish house everyone dreams of.

Try some of these gender friendly tips:

For Master Bedroom:

• Keep floral prints to a minimum.
• Use contemporary versions of a floral rather than a traditional bouquet motif.
• Combine floral with more gender neutral patterns, such as stripes.
• Choose a handsome geometric design.
• Use solid colors and rely on textures instead of pattern to make a statement.
• Select simple tailored treatments for beds and windows.
• Paint or paper the room in deep rich tones rather than in soft pastels. 

For Kitchen:

Clean lines, open spaces, neutral colors and maximum accessibility to cabinets and drawers are integral to a kitchen's design. They not only make for a charming, contemporary style kitchen but provide easy access to utensils and worktops for residents who are wheel chair bound.

Living Room Grandeur:

• Cover the frame in a solid and the seat and back cushions in a print on top only. Then you can reverse the cushion for a solid look.
• Using three co-coordinating fabrics, cover arms with one, back and front with second and seat and cushions with the third.
• Try mixing textures, leather and tweed for a casual look. 

For dining or occasional chairs:

• Cover the front in a solid or print the back in a check.
• Cover the seat in a solid and wrap the back in a different solid or coordinating stripe.
• Alternate fabrics on individual dining chairs. 

Perfect Texture:

Texture in a home is conveyed through the look and feel of the fabric, furniture and finished surfaces of walls and floors. Texture refers to the smoothness or roughness of a material. Furniture texture refers to a variety of materials used in constructing furniture, wood, glass, wrought iron, wicker, upholstery.

Surface textures are the materials used to cover floors and walls: wood, tile, stone, brick, carpet, wall covering, paneling or paint in smooth, rough, glassy or matte finishes. Using texture to enhance a room's design.

Rough textures: suggest casualness and informality reduce the appearance of ceiling height or wall expanse. Make color appear darker. Help to disguise dirt and dust.

Smooth textures: Suggest luxury and formality. Increase the appearance of ceiling height or wall expanse. Reflect more light and make color appear lighter. Reveal dirt and dust. Discover for yourself the satisfaction of decorating your home on your own terms - smartly and simply.

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Construct your dream home

Construct your dream home

Home building is not just building a structure built with brick and mortar. But it is something more. It includes decoration, furnishing, styling and designing of the building. Each room, starting from kitchen to bedroom and living room to bathroom, must be well arranged and equipped. Wide variety of accessories and items that suits each room is available in the market. Home building includes renovation of traditional homes into modern ones.

Home building is an art where you make a simple space converted into perfect and comfortable living space. Before constructing a home you must have a plan about the building structure, design and decorations. Apart from these aspects people look to the vaastu sasthra, and feng shui aspects and your house should conform to this requirement as well. If you have children then there comes the question of childproofing your home. Each room of your home must be well equipped, designed, and decorated according to your taste and requirement.

There are many options like luxury homes, modern home, contemporary home, etc. The most important thing of home building is the plan. You must have a clear idea of your requirement-whether be it small or big a house. If you need to get a stylish and beautiful home then you need to do minute thorough homework. You must choose the style ranging from traditional to modem ones that suits you well. After selecting the style just check with the colors that matches the style. Everything must be doubly checked.

Nowadays there is wide variety of furniture from traditional ones to latest ones. If you like traditional ones then go through the web sites or magazines and choose the one that suits your home. There are building designers who can help you. The designers will do according to your taste.

Decoration makes your home a real one. It is no secret that all homemakers, architects and other professionals related to home building industry find new ideas to make their work unique. From time immemorial, people plan and construct beautiful homes. Nowadays there are many facilities which can make your dream come true. You can find eminent architects, engineers, and contractors who can give you their best work. There are many magazines, websites and books which tell you and show the best plans and you may choose the plan which most suits you. Garden is an essential part of homes. Everyone loves to have a garden space. You can have a perfect garden along with beautiful and stylish homes.

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Color that enliven office

Color that enliven office

People tend to splash a lot of color in their homes but offices are kept on a subdued note. Or they may go to the other extreme and make the office a garish profusion of childlike coloring. Workplace colors should be refined and subtly introduced. Different vibes belong to different colors. Red, yellow, orange and brown have a warm aura while colors such as blue, green, pink and violet have a pacifying effect. The area, function and size of the space should decide the shades selected for the office.

Wall paints, furniture, laminations and furnishings are the canvas on which the color effect may be created. Neutral hues such as beige, grey, black and cream are most commonly chosen. A combination of grey and blue goes well for a balanced effect but experimenting a little with different shades may lend your office a unique look.

Different areas in the office should be demarcated according to their use, such as the reception, lobby area, lounge, cubicles, pantry, private cabins and the boardroom. The entire ambience of the workplace can be transformed through a judicious choice of cheering shades.

When somebody first visits your office the first impression they will get will be from the reception area. Sunshine yellow is an enlivening color for the background of this space and the company logo and name plaque can be displayed on the wall behind the front desk. If yellow is present, a tinge of orange will give a vibrant look. A fresh feel is imparted by a mix of yellow and orange.

Red combined with grey or beige may deepen the aura although alone it may have a disturbing effect. The reception area should not be done up in white or it will result in a lifeless appearance. If white must be used at least one bright color should be added on it to make it lively. The walls and floor could be embellished with bright objects.

Most of the employees spend their time in cubicles, so this place needs to be decorated in tranquil shades. Bright blue, maroon, magenta or purple combined with cream, grey or white will exude a positive glow. The place will gain openness and spaciousness. If it is a vast, extensive area you should have color coding with sectioning to have an appealing effect. Three shades of the same color or two cool colors and a single matching warm color will lighten up the atmosphere.

For the private cabin, a sober color, touched by bright green or navy blue in an accessory or wall frame will reduce some of the monotony. A board room in white with luxury chairs in rosewood or cherry color will give an opulent yet subtle look. Red upholstery will match well with this. The color gold used in brass planters, gold-plated chair backs and gold rimmed wall frames will add a regal touch to the board room.

As long as the element of 'serious business' is maintained, colors can be utilized to give energy to the work-space. Employees will be enthused to perform at their highest level of creativity and a gentle yet motivational appeal will be imparted to the office decor.

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Books at Home

Books at Home

A collection of Books is a treasure trove for the entire family. The children grow with them. Elders find enlightening moments whenever they browse through its pages. Taking care of them is as important as using them.

Whatever may be the advancements in the field of information technology, where enormous information is crammed into CDs and multimedia packs, books retain their own slot in the dissemination of knowledge? Reading habits are to be inculcated among children. Most of the people, though they may not be in the habit of regular reading, always make it a habit to buy books, whenever the chance arises. Arranging them in order is very important. In order to make the books more accessible, they might be displayed prominently in the living room or family room. This not only encourages active reading habit amongst the members of the household, but also adds an interesting dimension to the usual decorative knick- knacks.

For the bibliophiles and serious collectors, library editions, rare books and author signed copies are some of the books that are good for putting on display. On the other hand, a wide range of subjects such as fine arts, photography, interiors, travel, history, philosophy, biographies and many more branches of knowledge form an eclectic collection, that proclaims the good taste and varied interests of the collector. Adding a few visually appealing books such as, coffee- table books with their decorative jackets and colorful plates will add to the variety.

Open shelves, end tables, and cabinet tops can be used to display books. Coordinated book sets such as reference books, encyclopedias, atlas, etc., are more suitable for open shelves while books with decorative jackets are apt for end tables. Decorating interiors with books is gaining a lot of popularity and some websites and book stores even offer books in great numbers.

If the collection of books is more for a display an exclusive bookshelf to hold them will be the best alternative. One could invest in a bookcase made of wood or metal that has a glass front, which protects the books from dust while at the same time allows the books to be viewed from outside. Instead of arranging all the books vertically and stacking them against one another, the books could be spaced out and arranged in different styles to break the monotony. To get a more attractive display, different arrangements on each shelf could be made. One could also use picture frames, curios and other collectibles to make the exhibit more striking.

A couple of books on accent tables, in attractive baskets on end tables, placed vertically on a shelf at the entrance, all add interest and warmth to the decor, but it should always be better to ensure the look remains uncluttered. Some bookmarks should be kept handy in an attractive ceramic bowl or tray and then the look is complete. Arranging books and family photographs to fill any empty comer wi 11 also create an interesting look.

Bookends are a useful accessory which could further add interest to book arrangements. Bookends should always be selected in proportion to the size of the books that they support. Ornate or carved, animal figurines such as horse. elephant, odd shapes, book ends in wood, iron, marble, stone, bronze or brass all add up to the visual appeal to the decor.

Safeguarding the Books:

After having acquired such valuable collection of books, spending precious energy, time and money, it is important to take utmost care of the collection of books. It is advisable to store books in a constant temperature environment, preferably 20 to 24 degrees Celsius. High humidity can cause woulds to grow and damage the books, while low humidity can affect the glue in the book bindings. A relative humidity of 45-55 percent is considered to be ideal. Exposure to too much light and dust should also be avoided.

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