Chennai, Oct 31
The Tamil Nadu Government has implemented a new online appeal and dispute resolution system to enable applicants to file appeals against decisions on building and planning permission applications through the Single Window Portal.
The integrated system will facilitate the filing, processing and monitoring of appeals relating to planning and building approvals. It is expected to make the appeal process more transparent, accessible and time-bound.
At present, applicants seeking remedies against rejection of planning permission applications or enforcement action by planning authorities have to follow manual procedures. The new system will enable them to submit appeals online and track their progress.
Under Section 79 of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971, applicants can appeal against orders rejecting planning permission. Section 80-A provides a remedy for those affected by enforcement action taken against unauthorised buildings.
The new facility will electronically link appeals with the original planning or building permission applications, eliminating the need to resubmit documents already available on the portal. It will also provide electronic scrutiny, jurisdiction-wise allocation of cases, stage-wise timelines, automated alerts and escalation mechanisms for delayed cases.
Applicants will be able to communicate digitally with the authorities and track the status of their appeals in real time. The system will also facilitate physical or virtual hearings. Final orders will be digitally signed and made available for download.
The portal will provide dashboards displaying pending and disposed appeals, along with statistics and details of decisions. No appeal fee will be charged.
The system is intended to cover the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and other planning authorities across Tamil Nadu.