Builders in Mumbai must now display plot numbers.

Kunal Purohit, Hindustan Times;Mumbai, April 07, 2011,

In a move that comes as a boost to both prospective homebuyers as well as activists fighting illegal constructions, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to crack the whip on builders who don’t display city survey (CTS) numbers at construction sites.

The number will help those who want to file Right To Information (RTI) queries or make enquiries about permissions granted to the under-construction projects.

RB Hardas, deputy chief engineer (building proposals), western suburbs-I, passed an order to this effect, in response to activist Utsal Karani’s appeal in an RTI query.

Director (engineering services and projects) Ashok Shintre said, “As there is already an existing rule about this, we will first check its implementation. If it is not being implemented, we will insist that builders display the numbers on a board at their construction sites.”

Activists believe such a move would be a shot in the arm for activism, as the civic body refused to entertain RTI queries about structures without the CTS number of the plot mentioned in it.