The process of obtaining planning permission for high-rise buildings is expected to become significantly faster, as the state administration has once again delegated the authority to approve such projects within the metropolitan region to the designated planning authority. This decision was officially announced through a government order issued by the department overseeing housing and urban development on June 15.
The move comes after the planning authority pointed out that sending proposals to the government for final clearance—after completing technical scrutiny—was resulting in avoidable procedural delays. Accepting this concern, the government agreed that vesting approval powers directly with the planning body would streamline the process and reduce turnaround time for project clearances.
As part of this change, relevant provisions of the prevailing development and building regulations have been amended. Under the earlier framework, proposals for high-rise buildings had to be forwarded to the government for final approval, even after technical evaluation. Although a similar delegation of powers was introduced in 2022 for approving buildings exceeding a specified height, a subsequent amendment to the rules the following year reversed the decision and reinstated mandatory government approval.
With the latest order, the approval authority has been restored to the planning body. In addition, a high-rise building scrutiny committee has been reconstituted to examine proposals. The panel will be headed by the senior administrative official of the planning authority and will include representatives from key civic, utility, infrastructure, emergency services, water management, public works, power distribution, and traffic enforcement agencies. The committee will be responsible for ensuring that all safety, infrastructure, and service-related requirements are thoroughly reviewed before granting approval.
Overall, the revised mechanism is expected to simplify procedures, eliminate redundant approvals, and accelerate the development of high-rise projects across the metropolitan area.
