Full-fledged enforcement of TS-bPASS (Telangana State Building Permission Approval & Self-Certification System) in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area is likely to begin from this month-end or during the first week of the next month, replacing the existing DPMS (Development Permission Management System).
TS-bPASS as a single window approval system for building permissions, is expected to reduce the hassles for applicants, by simplifying the process. The system was first implemented for structures built in plot sizes equal to or less than 500 square metres or 600 square yards. For the first time ever, self-certification was introduced, and no building plan was needed to be submitted to obtain permission. The applicants were to simply adhere to the setbacks mentioned by GHMC in the permission proceedings, violations of which would be penalised through a separate mechanism.
Later on, the system was expanded to include plot sizes up to 1,000 square metres, and later 2,000 square metres. “As it was a new system, we were cautious before full-fledged implementation. We tested the waters starting with less complicated structures, and slowly expanded it to the higher plot sizes. From this month-end, all the structures irrespective of plot sizes will be brought into the purview of TS-bPASS,” a senior official from the Town Planning department informed.
For structures in higher plot sizes, however, self-certification does not apply. The building plan drawings need to be run on an automatic online building plan scrutiny and approval system before the process for application begins.
“A key is generated after the plan is approved in the online automatic scrutiny, which the user needs to enter in the application. This way, manual intervention in approval of building plans has been done away with,” the official said. Besides, as a rule, shortfalls in documentation may be raised only once in the whole process, he said. The applicant will be given enough time to address the shortfalls, after which the process will resume.
In the earlier system, shortfalls were intimated as and when they arose, making it a long and tedious process before permissions were granted. Users were forced to make rounds of different offices where clearances were stuck. Though the complete transition to TS-bPASS was initially planned by March end, it has been delayed due to the situation created by COVID-19 second wave, officials said.