Delhi Building Bye Laws revised,no sanction needed to build small house

NEW DELHI: In a move that would bring huge relief to applicants seeking approval of building plans, the norms have been simplified and rationalized to cut down red tape and corruption. While small residential plots of size up to 100 sq metres have been exempted from sanction procedures, a 30-day deadline has been fixed for approving or rejecting building plans on plots in the range of 100 sq metres and 20,000 sq metres.

The owners of plots up to 100 meters can start construction after submitting all information in one page to the authority concerned.

The revised Delhi Building Bye Laws, which will be notified soon, has also proposed single window mechanism for approving such plans for plots that are more than 20,000 sq metres. "In case of 100-20,000 sq metre plots, no response - either rejection or approval - within the stipulated 30 days would mean deemed approval. There will be a high powered committee to deal with bigger plots above 20,000 sq metres and it will have representatives from different agencies including urban development ministry. We have also proposed a secretariat to facilitate and process such applications," a government source said.

An official release from UD ministry said Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) in association with Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and municipal bodies completed the simplification exercise and submitted draft simplified bye-laws to ministry. UD minister M Venkaiah Naidu has directed DDA to notify them at the earliest.

It said the revised bye-laws will serve as a comprehensive singe reference ready reckoner by integrating the building bye-laws notified in 1983 and several changes that have been subsequently notified over the last 31 years.

"We have clearly defined and specified the powers and competency of professionals and agencies such as engineers, architects and town planners. It also specifies which project needs clearance from Heritage Conservation Committee, Archeological Survey of India or National Monument Authority. These aim at ending confusion and other agencies unnecessarily trying to play some role in getting such clearances," an official said.