CHENNAI: After powers given to local bodies and town panchayats for granting approvals to Continuous Building Area (CBA) were withdrawn following the introduction of Tamil Nadu Combined Development Building Rules (TNCDBR), the state government is looking at relaxing the norms in heritage sites like Madurai and Tiruvannamalai.
Housing Department Minister S Muthuswamy told reporters that after TNCDBR, 2019 came into force, continuous building areas, without setback space on the sides that are to be constructed, have to get approval from the directorate of town and country planning or the government.
Now after several representations and former chief minister Edapaddi K Palniswamy raising the issue in Nagercoil, Chief Minister MK Stalin during a review has agreed to allow CBA provided it should be reviewed by the local bodies and then by DTCP after which it will be notified. “We are identifying certain areas where in CBA will be allowed that too after the review of DTCP officials,” he added.
The minister also said unapproved plots, which have missed the earlier deadline will be given a six-month extension to apply for regularisation. The one-time amnesty scheme, The Tamil Nadu Regularisation of Unapproved Layouts and Plots Rules, 2017, was launched in May 2017 and closed in February 2021 after four extensions.
The extension will provide an opportunity to those who missed the chance to apply for regularisation, he said. Muthusamy also said the state is planning to bring in 22% of the area of the state under planned growth. This is through the preparation of 135 masterplans. Currently, 23 master plans are on the verge of completion, he added. Earlier, only 7% area of the state was brought under the master plan.
The minister also said petitions received from nearly 41 associations from the realty sector, developers and builders were resolved by the government. These issues were pending for more than 10 to 15 years, he said, adding the issue of delay in releasing the deposit after providing the completion certificate has been resolved.