The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation(PCMC) has now decided to issue completition certificates to builders and individual building owners "as fast as possible" unlike in the past, when it took months to issue the certificates. The move will benefit thousands of residents who have been living in buildings that are tagged as illegal, thereby creating multiple problems for the owners.

The demand for issuing completition certificates – which is in also in the interest of the civic body as it generates revenue in lakhs every year – soon after the apartment work is completed, had been pending for years. The civic administration had largely ignored the demand citing lack of provision in the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation Act. But now, after the newly-elected MLA Laxman Jagtap renewed the demand, the civic administration is showing its readiness to issue the completion certificate at the earliest. Municipal Commissioner Asheesh Sharma on Friday said his administration was ready to issue the completition certificate in less than 90 days, but with certain conditions. "We will issue completion certificates at the earliest, provided the owners get their act right. The owners must ensure that their documents are in order and the construction does not violate any laid-down norm," Sharma said

However, PCMC deputy city engineer Vasant Kachi said it was not obligatory for civic body to issue completition certificate within 90 days as there is no such provision in the BPMC Act. "Currently, it takes five to six months to issue the completition certificate as it involves a range issues like proper documents, completion of the work, inspection by the civic body and Building and Communication department," he said.

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