For applicants seeking to build houses measuring not more than 1,200 sq.ft. on plots measuring up to 2,500 sq.ft., the State Government eased the building plan approval process.
It said that the applicants, right from their houses, could seek approval by applying online and based on the documents submitted, without site inspection, the local body concerned would grant approval.
The Government also said that the applicants could pay online the approval fee.
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This was aimed at easing the process for both the applicants and approving officers – those from the town planning wing.
But in Coimbatore, the Corporation had not implemented the system, complains the Association of Registered Professional Engineers.
The officials followed the old system resulting in applicants or on their behalf licensed building surveyors were forced to complete the process in person. Besides, the Corporation was not giving approval in time to applicants, said S. Kanagasundram, the association president.
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The Corporation took up to a month to grant approval for building plans that fell under the less-than-1,200 sq.ft category, he said and added that in effect, the Corporation treated such buildings on a par with others.
But even if the Corporation were to grant the approval, the absence of certification from registered professional engineers put the validity of such approval in question as there were no registered professional engineer in city.
As per the Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules, 2019 the Corporation ought to approve and designate qualified engineers as registered professional engineers – a process it was yet to complete.
Therefore, the absence of registered professional engineers meant that there was none to certify that building plan complied with the rules and approval of such plan without certification put a question mark, the Association said and wanted the Corporation to expedite the registration and approval process.
The Corporation adopting for building plan approval a software different from what the rest of the State had adopted also delayed the process as the Corporation officials, with the old software, accorded approval under new rules.
Sources said that the officials in town planning wing processed building plan using the old software but physically verified its compliance to new rules.
This was taking time leading to delayed approval, they said.
Tender floated
Dismissing the claims, the town planning wing officials said the Corporation had taken steps to upgrade its building plan approval software. It had floated tender and also opened financial bids.
Very soon the successful bidder would start work to upgrade the software.
As for approval of buildings measuring less than 1,200 sq.ft., the officials said that the Corporation was according approval within three days.
Likewise, the Corporation would also soon release the list of registered certified engineers, the sources added.