CHENNAI: The ‘no-objection certificate’ (NoC) for planning approvals for residential and commercial projects from various agencies will now be available within seven days of submitting application as the State government is set to introduce a single joint inspection by officials of over eight departments.
This was decided at a meeting chaired by Home Secretary Niranjan Mardi. Nominated members for the joint inspection will have to inspect the site within seven days from the receipt of application.
The single joint inspection is introduced for the purpose of issuing planning permission, building permit and completion certificate and NoCs required from departments for special buildings, group developments, industrial buildings and multi-storeyed buildings apart from industrial building and reclassification of land use zoning.
Official sources said that the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and the Directorate of Town and Country Planning will be the main coordinating agencies to organise the joint inspection. Deputy planners in the CMDA and member-secretary, local planning authority, and regional deputy directors (RDD) in areas under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner of Town and Country Planning will be the nodal officers to coordinate joint inspection.
Officials from CMDA, DTCP, urban local bodies, fire service, traffic police, Public Works Department, Water Resources Department, state Electricity Board, Metro Water, state Pollution Control Board, Metro Rail and tahsildar will be part of inspection.
Sources said once the application for planning permission or building permit or completion certificate is received by CMDA, DTCP or local planning authority, the site has to be visited within seven days.
“If the nominated official could not join the joint inspection team, an alternate official has to be sent with due authorisation or the representative from the department has to visit the site within 48 hours of main inspection and offer their remarks,” sources said.
If there is no remark or representation within three days of joint inspection, the project will be considered as approved.
The meeting also decided that the single joint inspection team had to prepare inspection report on the same day. The applicant has to be informed about the date of joint inspection and he may be present if he chose, the sources said.
It was also decided that electricity, water and sewerage connection would be given only after obtaining completion certificate.
S Rama Prabhu, secretary, Builders Association of India, has welcomed the move to include joint inspection. However, he said success would depend on the coordination among the departments. “There is no need to involve so many departments and the process could be done online as is being done in Telengana,” said Prabhu.
Rules of inspection
The single joint inspection will be carried out within 7 days from the date of receipt of application for building permit, completion certificate or planning permission
At least 8 State departments would be involved in the joint inspection
Inspection report has to be prepared on the same day of inspection
If there is no remark or representation within three days of joint inspection, the project will be considered as approved