CHENNAI: Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner GS Sameeran has issued a circular prescribing a 27-day time-bound guideline for processing, scrutinising, and approval of planning permission and building permit applications. The circular also mandated the strict monitoring by senior officials and that the entire approval process must be carried out only online.
Speaking to TNIE, Sameeran said, “The direction is given to all officers working in the Town Planning department to ensure time-bound service delivery to citizens and to avoid unnecessary delays/transparency issues.”
According to the circular, applications for planning permission and building permits requiring clarification or additional documents must be processed within a maximum of 27 days from the date of admission. Applications with a clear-cut plan are to be approved within 18 days. In cases where the CMDA has already granted planning permission and only a building permit is to be issued by the city corporation, the permit must be approved within seven days of receipt of the application, provided the applicant pays the prescribed fees within three days of intimation.
As per the guidelines, Assistant Executive Engineers (AEEs) must conduct site inspections within seven days of receiving an online application and upload the inspection report within the following two days. Document verification must be completed within five days thereafter. If additional particulars are required, officials must raise queries or request them only through the GCC online portal within two days of scrutiny.
Applicants will be given seven days to submit the requested information online. The circular specifically prohibits AEEs from calling applicants, owners, registered engineers, or architects to visit offices in person, noting that all scrutiny, communication, and grievance redressal must take place through the online portal.
Once documents are found satisfactory, fee calculations will be made online. It said that the competent authority must approve applications within three working days of receiving all valid documents. After fee payment, executive engineers are required to digitally sign plans and permits within 24 hours, enabling applicants to access approved documents online. The commissioner said applications should be processed strictly on a first-in, first-out basis.
Meanwhile, in cases where the ownership documents are verified by CMDA, and a planning permission application is approved, the role of GCC is only to check the building rules as per the national building code, it said.
