No building plans needed for small plots in Delhi thanks to new bylaws

Do you own a small plot of land in Delhi and have been running from pillar to post for municipal approvals to build on it? Good news is on the way.

Residential plots of up to 1,130 sq. ft. will no longer require building plan approvals, and landowners will only have to furnish an undertaking from an architect that the construction is safe.

The new rules, part of a set of model building bylaws issued by the Union urban development ministry on Friday, will kick in in two weeks.

Model bylaws are not binding on a state but this should matter little in Delhi where land is controlled by the Delhi Development Authority that reports to the union urban development ministry. Many states had adopted the last set of model bylaws for buildings issued by the central government in 2004.

The government’s proposals are aimed at cutting red tape as well as corruption in the building approval process, which now involves more than a dozen clearances.

Building bylaws define how land can be used, permissible construction area (FAR) and height of structures, among other things.

The new rules also make it mandatory for civic bodies to issue building plan approvals within a month irrespective of the size of a plot. Also, no objection certificates for construction on big plots will be provided online so as to reduce contact between applicants and officials.

The new rules also waive off mandatory green clearances from the central government for individual projects on plots measuring up to 1.6 million sq. ft.

States municipalities can grant construction permits to such projects.

“The model bylaws will give a big boost to ease of doing business by creating an online single window integrated building plan approval process,” said Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu.

“It will eliminate man to man interaction and thereby reduce corruption. I urge the state governments to quickly take steps to adopt this progressive, environment friendly and citizen centric by-laws in their own laws and implement them.”

In a push for the Swachh Bharat Mission, the bylaws make it mandatory for public buildings to provide toilets for visitors.

A risk-based matrix for buildings has also been introduced.

“The objective of this analysis is that small buildings with low-risk criteria should be approved on a fast-track and high-risk buildings like malls, multi-story or big complexes should be examined in required detail,” a ministry official said.

with thanks : Hindustan Times : Dated 19.3.2016