The upcoming new GHMC Act will have stiff penalties like demolition without notice for constructions taken up on lake beds or storm-water drains, or encroaching on any full tank level or buffer zone of the water bodies, said Minister for IT, Industries and Municipal Administration K.T. Rama Rao on Monday.
Such action will also be taken against those misusing the new TS-bPASS - Building Plan Approval and Self-Certification System, by violating bylaws, open setback rules, constructing on government property, building extra floors, etc.
“TS-bPASS is an easy online process for getting building permissions, making the town planning and municipal officials accountable but the onus is also on the applicant to adhere to the 'self-certification' process or stringent action will follow,” said Mr. Rama Rao.
Launching the TS-bPASS formally at the Marri Chenna Reddy Human Resource Development Institute (MCR-HRD) in the presence of Mayor B. Rammohan and senior officials, the Minister said discussions will be held with legal experts and the judiciary to apprise them about the new regulations.
He pointed out that the recent floods had affected a large number of people and it was a result of decades of permitting encroachments on water bodies due to rapid urbanisation.
"Whether it is plain greed or officials looking the other way, it has happened but it cannot be allowed anymore or the very future of the city is at stake and we need a permanent solution," said Mr. Rama Rao.
TS-bPASS allows online automatic approvals for building plans from 75 sq. yards to 600 sq. yards with online payments and issuance of the permissions too. For plots above 600 sq. yards permissions have to be issued within 21 days in a single window so that clearance for fire safety, airports authority, irrigation department, and others can also be obtained.
Any shortfall will be intimated within a week and permissions delayed beyond 21 days are deemed to be approved. There are also penalties for any delay in the approvals by any particular official, said Municipal Administration secretary Arvind Kumar.
Mr. Rama Rao said TS-bPASS backed by legislation and along with the new 'Dharani' portal providing instant registration and mutation of properties are citizen-friendly initiatives of the KCR Government so that not a single paisa need to be paid as bribe. "These are not simple reforms and will be benchmarks for other States and they will be forced to emulate," he claimed.
The Minister quickly accepted the suggestion made by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India -Hyderabad (CREDAI-Hyd) president P. Rama Krishna Rao to link the TS-bPASS with TS-Real Estate Regulatory Authority (TS-RERA) and sought feedback to improve the process.
In this context, Mr. Rama Rao urged builders not to jack up prices but keep the affordability tag intact as it is the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) of Hyderabad City and keep them within the majority people's affordable range.
The Minister also gave away instant permissions under the new format to about 10 persons with one Ms. Ramadevi becoming the first successful applicant for 66 sq.yards. Chief City Planner Devender Reddy presided and Director of Municipal Administration N. Satyanarayana was among those who participated.
