Constructions less than 1,200 sq ft in area awaiting planning permission for more than 30 days will be deemed approved, deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam said on Saturday. This would largely benefit small projects such as independent houses, whose constructions are stalled due to inordinate delay in obtaining the plan sanction.
In the assembly, Panneerselvam, who holds housing and urban development department portfolio, said the move will be applicable for all constructions across Tamil Nadu, including areas under the jurisdiction of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA).
While the CMDA has delegated powers to local bodies including Greater Chennai Corporation to provide planning permissions for basic constructions such as ground+one or stilt+two buildings, the respective local bodies issue the permits in rest of Tamil Nadu.
Builders’ Association of India’s Southern Centre chairman, S Ramaprabhu, said the move would speed up the clearance of applications for planning permissions. “If applicants provide all documents required for issuing planning permission but there is a delay, it would be considered as deemed sanction. Independent houses will be the largest beneficiaries,” he said.
The development comes in the backdrop of the government launching a regularisation scheme for unapproved plots in 2017.
As per government data, 3,434 applications were received in Chennai Metropolitan Area, while nearly six lakh applications were filed across rest of the state for regularisation under the amnesty scheme. “Under such circumstances, the new announcement would ease construction in the regularised unapproved plots,” Ramaprabhu added.
The state government has also eased the norms for obtaining planning permission for industrial buildings for a specified area.
Panneerselvam said industries constructing buildings within an area of 25,000sqft and not exceeding the height of 18.30m in approved industrial layouts can self certify the planning permissions.
Applicants need not visit any office after filing their documents for the purpose, he said, adding that orders for the purpose would be issued soon.
