PANJIM: The Indian Institute of Architects (IIA), Goa chapter, has raised major concern over the Town and Country Planning Department which on December 27, 2018 through Government Gazette Series I No 39 on regulations as per the Notified Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulation the government took a decision of giving a new title of Site Supervisor.
According to the notification, the Site Supervisor is to be appointed by all builders who have more than 1000 plots so that safety of the building cannot be compromised. However, the government has also given the Site Supervisor the powers to design, which is equivalent to professional and qualified architects.
Chairman of the Indian Institute of Architect, Goa Chapter, Manguesh Prabhugaonker told Herald that, “A professional has to be respected in the state of Goa. You cannot mix supervisor by giving them the design power. The site Supervisor is always welcome to look after only the site related construction works and they cannot be elevated to the level of an architect by just having two years experience and giving them architectural design powers to certify architectural bungalows. This is against the Council of Architecture (COA) Act of 1972 passed by the Parliament.”
In a letter of dissent to the Chief Town Planner (Admin) Mr James Mathew, the IIA, Goa Chapter has registered their strong protest in giving the designing powers to the Site Supervisor. The letter adds that the “Council of Architecture, New Delhi and the Architects Act 1972 , also does not allow the title supervisor to be given any architectural design powers as noted which has to be corrected and the same is against the Architects Act 1972. Giving design powers to supervisors is highly questionable against the safety and design of buildings as being debated on last two meetings , which needs to be corrected and the same has to be restricted only up to powers of supervision on construction site.”
