Hyderabad: Despite revoking around 30 per cent of applications under TS-bPASS (TS Building Permission Approval and Self-Certification System), urban local bodies, including the GHMC and the HMDA are not refunding the requisite amounts. Further, there is also delay in processing applications, often extending to more than three months beyond the stipulated time.
The state government passed the TS-bPASS Act 2020 to simplify building permissions under three categories. Under it, instant registrations are granted for individual residential buildings of plot sizes up to 75 sq. yards and building height up to 7 metres. Instant approvals are available for individual residential buildings of plot size above 75 sq. yards and up to 600 sq. yards and building height up to 10 metres. There will be single-window building permissions for all residential buildings above 500 sq. metres or height above 10 metres as well as all non-residential buildings.
Instant registrations and instant approvals are on submission of application and self-certification. For single-window building permissions, applications are to be processed in maximum 21 days. Since building permissions are granted on basis of self-certification, officials need to conduct verification of documents submitted by applicants. This exercise is to be completed in 15 days. Post-verification, authorities can either okay the building permission issued or revoke it.
For single-window applications, there is one-time facility for officials to raise questions on shortfall of documents within 10 days of an application. The applicant can respond to the query within 15 days and submit the required documents. If the application is not processed in 21 days, the same is deemed to be approved.
However, these guidelines have just remained on paper. Out of about 30,000 applications received under TS-bPASS, authorities are taking up to three months to process them. Or, they are revoking permission but not refunding amounts after deducting `10,000 towards scrutiny fee.
Official sources in the town planning department have disclosed that 30 per cent applicants have been requesting for refunds post rejection of their applications. But refunds are not forthcoming. This is being attributed to refunds being under exclusive control of a special team under Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP).
A senior official from Municipal Administration and Urban Development confessed that there have been only a few instances of refunds owing to glitches in the system. However, TS-bPASS teams are working on resolving them, he maintained. Asked about delay in processing the application within the stipulated time, the official said he would look into the issue and resolve it at earliest.
