Bahrain sets panel to resolve building violations

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Bahrain - A special government committee to assess and resolve hundreds of building violations in government homes has been set up.

Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf told MPs during Parliament’s weekly session yesterday that it is comprised of specialists from his ministry and others from the Housing Ministry.

“We don’t see that all building violations warrant legal action as they don’t constitute trespass on public or private property and don’t affect the structural strength of the home,” said Mr Khalaf.

“Most are unlicensed and for that we have formed a special committee to assess and resolve all cases.”Mr Khalaf told Hamad Al Kooheji yesterday that 1,528 building violations had been registered from December 2018 to September this year.

He said that 184 violations were registered by the Capital Trustees Authority, 283 by the Muharraq Municipality, 487 by the Northern Municipality and 574 by the Southern Municipality. “We refuse to have people punished with backdated effect when they have committed the violations instead of being stopped during work,” said Mr Al Kooheji.

“It is not people’s fault that they are given homes after waiting around 20 years and they need to expand with five children and a housemaid. The law is not applied on rich violators who expand their homes to show off and are off bounds.

”In response to Ali Ishaqi, Mr Khalaf said moves to resolve problems with 92 homes under the Sanad Fareej (Neighbourhood) project have stalled due to owners refusing to accept terms but stated that a way out with the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Rera) was being negotiated.“The 92 homes were built on three massive private plots but there are separate deeds per home and when we tried to give individual deeds the whole project was found in violation of its licensing in 2010 and existing laws as it was intended for lease and not sale.”

Meanwhile, MP Zainal Abdulamir said people remain on waiting lists because homes were being distributed on area basis rather than actual application date.

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