The Green Channel initiative has been taken to simplify the procedure for grant of building permits on the basis of self-certification by owners or registered archit
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, on Monday, announced that it will launch a 'Green Channel' for automatic approval of building permissions, from October 20, in its zonal offices and circle offices.
The Green Channel initiative has been taken to simplify the procedure for grant of building permits on the basis of self-certification by owners or registered architects. This has been done in accordance with the recommendations of the Administration Reforms Commission-II and the consequential orders of the Government of India.
According to GHMC officials, the initiative helps to incentivize the development of the built environment, ease the grant of building permissions, and introduce transparency and accountability. The owners and builders are promised expeditious approval of building permissions.
The Green Channel will enable applicants to obtain building permissions from Zonal Offices / Circle offices in 4 clear working days in plots up to 1000 sq metres of area and a height of upto Ground + 3 floors (upto 12 metres, excluding parking floors).
Anybody can apply for building permissions under the Green Channel. Application forms are available at Citizen Service Centres, or can be downloaded from GHMC website www.ghmc.gov.in.
Applicants can also file their applications at Citizen Service Centre counters in all Circle offices, and there will be no additional fees and charges to be paid by the applicants for obtaining permissions through the Green Channel.
According to the GHMC, the applicants must get plans made by Licensed Technical Personnel viz., Architects registered with HMDA / GHMC / Council of Architecture or Engineers / Surveyors registered with GHMC to ensure conformity to Master Plan / Zoning Regulations / Building Rules and Regulations and orders and circulars issued by the Government from time to time.
On completion of the necessary scrutiny and certification of building plans by Licensed Technical Personnel, applicants must submit their plans through the Licensed Technical Personnel at Citizen Service Counters in the Citizen Service Centres of the concerned Circle offices of GHMC in full form, duly enclosing all relevant documents with payment of prescribed fee in full in the form of two DDs (one to an amount of Rs. 10,000 and other to the remaining amount in the name of Commissioner, GHMC).
The plans will be scrutinized by the concerned Town Planning officials at the Circle offices / Zonal Offices, and after the approval of Deputy Commissioners / Zonal Commissioners. Permissions will be given within 4 clear working days, pending post site inspection.
After issuing permissions under the Green Channel the concerned TP Staff will inspect the site within 15 days and corroborate all details in the application and confirm the permission on file to the Competent Authority, that is, the concerned Zonal Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner, as the case may be.
Licensed Technical Personnel viz., Architects registered with HMDA / GHMC / Council of Architecture or Engineers / Surveyors registered with GHMC, are eligible for submitting the applications under the Green Channel as per their eligibility. Moreover, other architects/engineers/surveyors willing to register themselves with the GHMC can apply to GHMC for necessary registration.
Violations of the Green Channel rules invite penal actions against the Licensed Technical Personnel (architects/engineers/surveyors).
After the permission is issued, the concerned TP staff will inspect the site, and during the inspection, if permission is found to have been obtained through misrepresentation, falsifying facts, or in any other way misleading GHMC, then the permission granted will be cancelled forthwith.
The Licensed Technical Personnel are expected to give a quarterly report on the progress of construction. Failure to submit a report, or submitting an incorrect report, will lead to forfeit of bank guarantee and cancellation of license for repeated non-compliance.
Penal action will also be taken against the Town Planning Staff if violations are detected. This would, in case the TP staff fails to process the application and inspect the site within stipulated time period, invite a penalty of Rs. 50 per day on the concerned staff according to the Citizen Charter.
Deputy Commissioners and Zonal CPs are personally responsible for issuing or rejecting the permission within 4 days. Rejection should be given in a speaking endorsement, with valid reasons.
Courtesy: INN