The Hindu Business Line : Plan approval within 60 days for IT buildings in TN

Expediting process
IT office builders and companies setting up own facilities need not approach the weather dept for NOC.
Developers only need to adhere to regulations in the Development Control Rules.

R. Balaji

Chennai, March 23 Why do developers have to restrict their building height to less than 60 metres in Chennai?

One of the reasons: The India Meteorological Department has its weather radar at a low height and therefore building heights are restricted to avoid interference with the weathermen collecting data.

But now the Tamil Nadu Government has asked the Weather Department to raise its radar position.

The Government has said that IT office builders and companies setting up own facilities need no longer approach the IMD for its no-objection certificate. Developers only need to adhere to regulations in the Development Control Rules.

This was among the decisions taken to enable IT-building plan approval within 60 days of application. While the decisions take immediate effect, the Tamil Nadu Government is likely to enact a law to ensure sustained implementation, according to sources in the know.

This follows concerns over the possibility of IT companies shifting their expansion plans to other southern States owing to inordinate delay in getting approvals here. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala offer approval within 60 days. Tamil Nadu with software exports exceeding Rs 20,000 crore is followed closely by Andhra Pradesh with exports of about Rs 18,000 crore, while Karnataka’s software exports are twice as much. Kerala is pushing for investments and has committed to set up IT parks in each district.

Under the circumstances, the Tamil Nadu Government has realised that it will have to back its main advantage — human resource — with ease of doing business. Human resource is after all a mobile asset.

With the possibility of STPI concessions ending, there is need to create over 20 million sq ft of IT space in SEZs over the next two years.

Checklist

At a recent meeting of high-level officials, where it was decided that the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu would act as a single-window agency to expedite building plan approvals, a number of decisions were taken to make the process transparent, objective and time bound — within 60 days.

Also, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and the Department of Town and Country Planning will give a checklist to Elcot. The Government has asked authorities to restrict their vetting process to the checklist to avoid subjective evaluation.

Clearances

Airports Authority of India has been asked to publish a map delineating areas where it has no objection to high-rise buildings. Also, the wait for AAI clearance itself is no hurdle, the authorities have said.

The Coastal Regulatory Zone authorities have been asked to meet as often as required to enable plan approval within the stipulated time

A State-level environment authority would soon be set up to enable speedy clearances wherever necessary. Local bodies too will have to accord approval within 30 days of collecting statutory charges.

In SEZ areas, where Open Space Reservation areas have to be gifted to local bodies, the local authorities will lease the space back to the developer on a long-term basis to ensure that such open space areas meet SEZ norms.

More Stories on : Infrastructure | Policy | Real Estate & Construction | Tamil Nadu

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