CHENNAI: High-rise developers who have to wait for nearly a year to get files approved now have some something to cheer about with new reforms being initiated by Housing Secretary Hitesh Kumar Makwana.
In a significant development, the housing department has given powers to the member secretary to clear files pertaining to buildings above 18.3 m and up to 30 m rather than sending them to the government.
Padam Dugar, president of Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) Chennai Chapter, termed the move bold and path-breaking. “Usually it takes more than a year to get approvals for tall buildings. Now it will be reduced by eight months. It was a long-awaited move,” said Dugar.
Now, all applications of buildings with a height of 18.3-30 m will be scrutinised by the multi-storied building panel of CMDA and recommend to the member secretary of the CMDA. Similarly, buildings beyond 30 m will be scrutinised by the multi-storied building panel and put up before the six-member committee formed under the G.O. issued on Thursday. The recommendation of this committee will be forwarded to the member secretary who will then give his assent.
According to CMDA member secretary Anshul Mishra who had written a letter to housing secretary, scrutiny of plans for high-rise buildings as per Tamil Nadu Combined Development Rues 2019 is to be done by MSB panel and there is no specific provision for forwarding the applications along with the recommendations of the panel to the government for approval. This was highlighted to the housing secretary who brought out the G.O.
According to the G.O., the CMDA member secretary has been directed to place a progress report before the authority on the status of disposal of applications received for high-rise buildings. Similarly, powers have been delegated to district officers in the Directorate of Town and Country Planning under Section 91 of the Tamil Nadu Country and Town Planning Act 1971, to grant planning permission to non-high-rise buildings, residential, commercial and industrial use for total built up area up to 40,000 square feet.
Corpn to take action over deviation in building plan
Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi has instructed ward and zonal-level engineers to initiate action if any building deviates from the approved plan or is being constructed without plan approvals. The engineers have been instructed to carry out field inspections at construction sites and stop constructions that deviate from approved plans or those that don’t have plan approvals, the statement said