CHENNAI: Doing away with the requirement of final government approval for high-rise building projects in Chennai Metropolitan Area, the State government on Monday authorised the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) to directly issue planning permission.

Under the earlier system, developers submitted applications to the CMDA, which carried out field inspections and technical scrutiny before placing the proposals before the High Rise Buildings (HRB) Scrutiny Panel, which includes officials from Fire and Rescue Services, Tangedco, and TWAD Board to ensure safety and utility compliance. Based on the panel's recommendations, the proposals were then sent to the government for approval through a Government Order before planning permission was granted.

In the new system, which came after Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s direction to simplify and speed up the approval process for multi-storeyed buildings in Chennai, the CMDA can issue planning permission for high-rise projects on its own, based on the recommendations of the scrutiny panel.

Officials said the decision was taken to reduce delays in granting approvals and to ensure that applications are processed within a shorter timeframe. The revised procedure would help avoid delays caused by multiple stages of approval while maintaining compliance with planning norms and building regulations.