CMDA & DTCP Registered Engineers Welfare Association Urge CMDA to Delegate Powers, Seek Faster Building Approvals

Chennai, April 25, 2026: Office-bearers of the CMDA & DTCP Registered Engineers Welfare Association (All Local Bodies), including Founder State President A. Balasubramani, President B. Manoharan and State Honorary Secretary P.S.J. Palanirajan, addressed a press conference today at Chennai Press Club, calling for reforms to streamline planning approvals and decentralise powers under the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA).

The association said it had submitted a formal representation seeking enhanced delegation of powers to the Greater Chennai Corporation and other local bodies to ensure quicker and more efficient clearances for building projects.

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Emphasising the urgency of reform, the office-bearers referred to the evolution of urban governance—from the formation of the Corporation of Madras in 1688 to the establishment of CMDA in 1975—and pointed out that rapid urban growth now necessitated greater decentralisation.

Among the key proposals, the association sought an increase in approval limits for residential and commercial buildings within Greater Chennai Corporation limits. The existing norms allowing stilt plus three floors or ground plus two floors with limited dwelling units were proposed to be expanded to permit up to stilt plus five floors or ground plus four floors, accommodating up to 50 dwelling units with higher Floor Space Index (FSI) and commercial components.

The association also recommended increasing layout approval limits from two hectares to four hectares and raising subdivision limits from eight plots to 16 plots.

While noting that existing delegation powers for industrial and institutional buildings were largely adequate, the association stressed the need for clearer guidelines and uniform implementation.

Similar demands were extended to City Municipal Corporations such as Avadi and Tambaram, as well as municipalities, town panchayats and panchayat unions. The proposals included enhanced building approval limits, higher dwelling unit capacities, and expanded FSI allowances suited to each category of local body.

For smaller local bodies, the association proposed increasing residential development limits, expanding permissible built-up areas, and allowing greater flexibility in layout approvals and land subdivisions.

The association maintained that decentralising powers would help reduce delays, remove procedural bottlenecks, and promote planned urban development across the Chennai Metropolitan Area.

The press conference concluded with an appeal to the forthcoming new State government and CMDA authorities to consider the recommendations and implement reforms aimed at ensuring a more efficient and transparent approval process.

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