Telangana building norms set for an overhaul

Telangana Building Rules undergoing overhaul to modernize and simplify process, with focus on stakeholder consultations and national guidelines.

The Telangana Building Rules, which are the yardstick for issue of buildings permissions across the state, are up for an overhaul soon.

The state government has begun the exercise to revise the existing building norms, in order to revitalise them and make them suitable for the contemporary needs.

It is reliably learnt that an order was issued over a month ago, constituting a committee with the Commissioner, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority as its chairman, with the express mandate of preparing draft building norms.

The committee is to pore over each and every norm, and hold consultations with the stakeholders including builders, architects, resident welfare associations and others, before making its recommendations. It is learnt that the committee was given a month’s time, but could not complete the task.

Two meetings were held within the committee, but meetings with the stakeholders are yet to begin. It may take two to three months more for the draft rules to be framed, sources informed.

The building rules were first framed in April, 2012, in the era of the joint state, and adopted in toto by the Telangana State after its formation.

“The aim is to simplify the rules and make the process user friendly. There are several rules which are outdated which need to be removed, and several other conditions need to be incorporated,” an official informed.