Madras, July 12: When there was a National Building Code why not make use of it to have cheaper buildings? Posing this question the Union Industry Minister, Mr. T. A. Pai, had a dig at financial institutions for putting forth their own codes “which were totally irrelevant” and which only added to costs.
Speaking at the Indian Standards Institution here today, Mr. Pai said that if one had to borrow from the LIC it would insist on earthquake proof foundation. If it was so keen why not have an earthquake premium instead of insisting on conditions which would only raise costs, he asked jocularly. The Minister also deprecated the tendency of industries to fritter away their resources on posh buildings.
Mr. Pai said that the National Building Code evolved a long time ago had been given the go-by and the PWD and the municipal corporations refused to change. People refused to do anything sensibly. It would appear that enforcement of discipline either by law or force was the only way to “discipline ourselves”, he felt.
The Minister was glad that the National Building Code was beginning to be accepted and the Planning Commission was making the State Governments to accept the code.
Published - July 13, 2026 02:40 am IST