Telangana to use automated third-party checks for selected building approvals
Telangana is revising building rules to allow empanelled private consultants to inspect certain properties and submit reports for construction and occupancy approvals. The system will use random assignment and retain government checks on 10% of cleared properties, with implementation to begin after a registration portal is developed.
The Telangana government is introducing third-party inspections for selected building permissions and occupancy certificates, replacing some scrutiny by regulatory authorities. Officials said the change formed part of a deregulation policy aimed at reducing government control where possible. A government order amending the building rules will apply across all civic bodies in the State.
Under the revised system, empanelled consultants will be able to submit post-verification or inspection reports for proposals in approved layouts involving plots of up to 500 square metres and buildings no higher than 10 metres. Municipal commissioners will use the reports to issue either work commencement certificates or rejection letters. The arrangement is intended to remove the need for town-planning officials to intervene in those cases.
A second category covers occupancy certificates for plots of up to 300 square metres and buildings up to 10 metres high. For individual buildings on plots of up to 200 square metres and no more than seven metres high, an occupancy certificate will continue to be optional. Properties will be assigned randomly to empanelled consultants through an automated system.
Officials said this would prevent consultants from selecting the properties they inspect. Municipal authorities will pay the consultants for their work. Government scrutiny will not disappear entirely.
Regulatory authorities will conduct random inspections of 10% of properties cleared through the third-party process. A portal for registering and empanelling licensed technical personnel is being developed. Senior officials said the system would be formally implemented after that process is completed.
The Director of Town and Country Planning has been authorised to implement the changes and incorporate them into the online building-approval system. The revised rules are expected to provide a common framework for civic bodies across Telangana while shifting routine verification to approved external professionals.
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