Since its launch in 2020, the Telangana State Building Permission Approval and Self Certification System (TS-bPASS) has become a rich source of income for the GHMC. Of the 32,391 building permits issued till date, 10,000 have been in this financial year – a jump of almost 40% from last year.
After property tax, TS-bPASS is the next most significant revenue source for the GHMC. Till August alone, GHMC has received ₹650 crore through building permits issued via TS-bPASS and officials said it is set to surpass last year’s earnings of ₹1,144 crore. Significantly, the ₹1,144 crore it earned in 2021-22 was 42% higher than the revenue in the pandemic-hit period.
The GHMC stands on top in terms of building permits issued compared to other ULBs in the state. In a bid to provide hassle-free permissions, the government came up with TS-bPASS Act under three categories.
According to government rules, there is no requirement for a building permit or occupancy certificate for construction in plot sizes up to 75 square yards or up to G+1 for residential buildings.
In terms of plot sizes up to 500 square metres and building height up to 10 metres, the applicant can get instant building permission through online self-certification within a fortnight after officials verify for objections.
For plot sizes over 500 metres and building heights above 10 metres there is a single-window system for getting NOCs with an official deadline of 21 days for verification.
“We have recently taken cognisance of delays in issuing permits and levied penalties against officials responsible. In the coming days we are expecting to clear several thousands building permits,” a senior town planning official told .
