1. What Does Approval Mean for Land Plots?
Approval for a plot indicates that the land is officially recognized as part of an urban or rural planning area. Approved plots ensure that essential services like water, electricity, roads, and postal services will be available, providing infrastructure and legal security for buyers and sellers.
2. Why Approval is Necessary
Unapproved or unplanned developments can lead to disorganized urban sprawl, making it difficult for authorities to provide necessary public services. Settling on non-approved land, such as farmland or unzoned areas, leads to chaos in infrastructure planning and disrupts organized urban growth.
3. The Role of Approval Authorities
Approval authorities play a vital role in regulating where residential, commercial, and industrial developments can occur. They create master plans for cities and towns, defining appropriate zones for housing, industries, schools, and other developments to prevent disorganized growth.
4. Regulations by Approval Authorities
These bodies regulate guidelines such as height restrictions near airports, distance from coastal areas, and land use classifications. They ensure that urban development follows legal and structural guidelines, including setting up a Master Plan to oversee city and town expansion.
5. Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA)
The CMDA is the main urban planning body overseeing Chennai and its surrounding areas. It regulates land use, housing developments, and other urban planning decisions under its jurisdiction, with a focus on well-planned urban expansion.
6. Expansion of CMDA’s Master Plan
Currently, the CMDA is expanding its jurisdiction to include parts of Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram, and Vellore districts, preparing these regions for organized urban development as part of Chennai’s growing metropolitan area.
7. Local Planning Authorities (LPA)
Other major cities in Tamil Nadu, such as Vellore, Trichy, Coimbatore, Salem, Madurai, and Erode, are governed by their Local Planning Authorities (LPA). These bodies are responsible for regulating land use and plot approvals in their respective regions.
8. Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP)
For areas outside the control of the CMDA and LPAs, the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) oversees land approvals and planning processes. The DTCP ensures that rural and smaller town developments follow proper guidelines.
9. TNHB and DTCP Approvals
The Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) works alongside the DTCP to plan and approve housing projects. While the CMDA focuses on Chennai, the DTCP and TNHB ensure that the development of towns and villages across Tamil Nadu is regulated and orderly.
10. Non-Approved Plots & Panchayat Approvals
For many years, unapproved plots were sold under Panchayat approvals or labeled as “NOC plots.” These approvals bypassed the DTCP’s rigorous process, leading to the sale of thousands of unapproved plots across the state.
11. The Rise of Unapproved Plots
Real estate developers found it more profitable to sell unapproved plots due to the complex, time-consuming, and expensive process of getting DTCP approval. This led to a large market of unapproved real estate across Tamil Nadu.
12. Panchayat Approvals
In certain cases, Panchayat-approved plots under 2,400 square feet could bypass DTCP approval, allowing local panchayats to approve construction on smaller plots. Developers used this loophole to sell large amounts of unapproved land.
13. Panchayat Endorsements
Panchayat leaders could endorse land sales by passing resolutions and signing off on plot approvals. This practice was informal and unregulated but allowed developers to bypass the stringent processes of official approval bodies.
14. Government Ban on Panchayat Approvals
In 2006, the Tamil Nadu government banned Panchayat approvals for land development. However, developers continued using this process until 2016, when the High Court intervened.
15. Court Ban on Unapproved Plots
In 2016, the Madras High Court imposed a ban on registering unapproved plots, Panchayat-approved plots, and NOC plots. This ruling shook the real estate industry, which had thrived on the sale of such properties.
16. Regularization of Unapproved Layouts
Following the court order, the government introduced laws to allow for the regularization of unapproved plots. This process enables developers and buyers to obtain formal approvals for previously unapproved properties.
17. New Regulations for Plot Regularization
Buyers and developers are now required to apply for regularization before selling or purchasing unapproved land. This has created a stricter, more regulated environment for real estate transactions.
18. Two Types of Approvals
There are now two distinct approval types:
- Regular Approvals for newly approved plots
- Regulation Approvals for regularized unapproved plots. Buyers should be aware of these distinctions when purchasing property to avoid legal complications.
19. Impact of Regularization
The introduction of regularization laws has led to an influx of applications at approval offices such as CMDA, LPA, and DTCP, increasing their workload and leading to delays in the approval process.
20. Post-Regularization Process
After the regularization of plots, buyers need to ensure that plots have either a Regular or Regulation Approval from the CMDA, LPA, or DTCP before purchasing.
21. Checking Plot Approvals
In the past, buyers typically only checked documents at the Sub-Registrar and Village Administrative Officer (VAO) offices. Now, they must also verify plot approvals through CMDA, LPA, or DTCP offices to ensure the land’s legal status.
22. Smart Buying Decisions
Purchasing a plot with proper approvals is essential for making a wise investment. Buyers should always verify whether the plot has Regular Approval or Regulation Approval to ensure long-term value and legal security.
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