Gangtok Municipal Corporation halts Star Mall construction over compliance concerns

Sikkim, April 30: Gangtok Municipal Corporation (GMC) has cracked down on the construction of Star Mall at New Market, serving a notice to halt all construction activities immediately.

The notice, dated April 26, was directed to Rupesh Kumar, Director of Star Mall, highlighting various compliance issues overlooked by the builders.

According to the directive, the construction proceeded as RCC building construction before receiving approval of the Blue Print Plan within the jurisdiction of Gangtok Municipal Corporation. Additionally, it was noted that the RCC construction lacked proper authorization.

The order cited infractions such as the construction of unauthorised vertical floors, exceeding the permissible limit of 5 1/2 storeys, and the installation of an unauthorised roof projection over the main road, raising concerns among municipal authorities.

Official sources disclosed that prior warnings had been issued to the builders to halt work as it violates the Sikkim Allotment of House Sites and Construction of Buildings (Regulation and Control) Act of 1985, in conjunction with sub-regulation (IC) of Regulation 17 of the Sikkim Building Construction, 1991 (as amended by the Sikkim Building Construction (Amendment) Regulation 2000).

The letter issued by GMC mandates the builder to submit a detailed report within seven days of the notice, setting the deadline for May 2nd. Failure to comply with this directive may lead to further legal action by the municipal corporation, the notice emphasised.