TN’s local bodies will get more teeth to clear building plans

The Tamil Nadu government plans to make it easier for builders to obtain clearances by giving local bodies more power in decision-making, State Minister SP Velumani told the State Assembly on Wednesday.

While urban and rural local bodies can now provide the clearances for have powers to approve planning permission and building plan approvals for residential buildings of up to 4,000 sq ft, and commercial buildings of 2,000 sq ft, for larger buildings, builders have to approach the respective government departments. The Housing Department provides planning permissions, and the Municipal Administration Department deals with building plan approvals.

This results in delays in clearances and in getting financial assistance from financial institutions and the government.

To redress this, local bodies will be given additional powers, enabling them to issue clearances for larger residential buildings and commercial buildings, public buildings and special buildings, said Velumani, the Minsiter for Municipal Administration.

More details on the decision will be revealed at a later stage, official sources said.

In line with the powers of urban local bodies within Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority to approve layouts with eight plots (subdivisions), other urban local bodies will be given matching power.

Building Plan Approval applications will be allowed to be registered online only. Local bodies will have to decide on approvals within 30 days, beyond which it will be deemed to have been approved, provided the application complies with prevailing rules and regulations. Land owners and builders can commence construction, the Minister said in his reply to the debate on demand for grants to the Departments of Municipal Administration and Water Supply.

As part of the Smart Cities programme, a ₹20-crore pedestrian plaza will be established at Pondy Bazaar in T Nagar, a major retail hub in Chennai.

A ₹36-crore multi-level car parking facility, measuring 1,488 sq m, will also be built with a capacity to park 500 two-wheelers and 200 four-wheelers at this retail hub.

Parking facilities will be upgraded across the city through a Public-Private Partnership initiative.

Smart cards will be issued in Chennai for the public to pay for public transport, utilities and to make property tax payments.

Sewage treatment facilities in the city will be upgraded at a cost of ₹226 crore.

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