CHENNAI: Property developers and individual builders can heave a sigh of relief as the State government has permitted reorganisation of the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) offices and creation of 15 new offices in unrepresented districts.

The Government Order to this effect will result in setting up of DTCP offices in erstwhile unrepresented districts of Ariyalur, Kallakurichi, Karur, Nagapattinam, Namakkal, The Nilgiris, Pudukottai, Ramnad, Ranipet, Tenkasi, Theni, Tirupathur, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruvarur and Viruthunagar.

Building of each office would cost the exchequer Rs 21 lakh, and the government has set aside Rs 3.15 crore for setting up all 15 offices. Welcoming the decision, CREDAI chairman (Tamil Nadu chapter) S Sridharan and Builders Association of India (BAI) state treasurer S Ramaprabhu told Express that the move would speed up the planning process in districts.

“Previously, one office catered to three districts and a lot of time was lost in processing delay. Builders also had to travel far often to get approvals. The setting up of new offices would definitely speed up the process,” Sridharan said.

As per the GO, certain posts within the sanctioned strength of 799 posts in existing offices will be redeployed to the new DTCP offices. As a result, the joint director, deputy director, and assistant director at a DTCP office shall function as the head of the respective district office, in addition to acting as the member secretary of the Local Planning Authority or New Town Development Authority that lies within the respective district. “Orders on when the new offices will commence operation will be issued later,” an official said. Once the guidelines for functioning are issued, all records and files pertaining to the respective districts will be transferred to the new offices.