DTCP - Directorate of Town and Country Planning

DTCP – Directorate of Town and Country Planning

Particulars of Organization, Functions and Duties

Constitution

Government of Tamil Nadu (GoTN) enacted Town & Country Planning Act (T&CP Act), 1971 by repealing Town Planning Act 1920. The Directorate of Town & Country Planning (DTCP) headed by the Director is functioning under the Tamil Nadu T&CP Act, 1971. It functions under the control of Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UD) of the Secretariat. The department has its jurisdiction over the entire Tamil Nadu except Chennai Metropolitan Development Area (CMDA).

Aims/goals of the Directorate

To provide effective land development plans with adequate infrastructural facilities for a conductive living environment required for the society. This is achieved by integrating the physical, economic as well as social planning for the diverse conditions viz., physiography, pattern of urbanization, traditional practices, socio-economic equalities etc., prevalent in different parts of the towns and villages.

To achieve socio-economic development of the state through systematic development and regulation of growth of urban and rural areas of the State through Master Plans/New Town Development Plans and Detailed Development Plans.

To arrest the rural migration to cities and towns by rural-urban integration through Regional Plans

To preserve the historical, heritage and tourism important places in the state.

To protect environmentally and ecologically sensitive areas of the state.

DTCP Approval: What It Means & How Noah Infrastructures Supports You

Buying a plot or building a home involves more than just choosing the right location—it also requires ensuring the land is legally approved and compliant with government regulations. One of the key approvals in Tamil Nadu is DTCP approval (Directorate of Town and Country Planning), which confirms that the layout is authorized and safe for residential or commercial construction.

At Noah Infrastructures, while we don’t offer DTCP approval as a standalone service, we take full responsibility for handling all legal documentation and approvals when you engage us for construction on a plot. From verifying DTCP status to ensuring a smooth project launch, our team is committed to building trust through compliance and transparency.

In this blog, we’ll help you understand what DTCP approval means, why it matters, and how we assist you in making fully informed and legally secure property decisions.

Building Permit

The following procedure is applicable for obtaining planning permission and building permits for the following types of buildings:

1	Residential	Stilt + 3 floors / Ground floor plus Two floors with 16 dwelling units up to a height of 12 meters with 10,000 Sq.ft area.
2	Commercial	Stilt + 3 floors / Ground floor Plus Two Floors up to a height of 12 meters with maximum built up area of 300 sq.m.
3	Industries as [cottage industry/green industry/orange industry]	Maximum height of 18.30 meters with: Unlimited built up area Maximum H.P. requirement of 200 H.P.Maximum of 100 labourers
4	Institutional	Maximum height of 18.30 meters with unlimited built up area.

For obtaining planning permission of all other buildings other than those mentioned above, the applicant has to submit the application in CMDA.

In Sl.No.1, up to 5,000 sq. ft., the planning permission application is to be submitted online and will be processed in the concerned Zonal Offices.

For areas above 5,000 sq. ft. and up to 10,000 sq. ft., the application is to be submitted online and will be processed at Headquarters, Works Department.

All the applications are to be submitted online.

Application procedure and documents required for planning permission (if applicable) and building permit

1. Applicant :

The applicant has to register in the citizen portal of the Greater Chennai Corporation by visiting https://chennaicorporation.gov.in/gcc

The details of the site for which the planning permission and building permit is required is to be submitted in the application form. The applicant also selects the registered architect/registered engineer, which enables the application details to be forwarded to the registered architect/registered engineer to prepare the drawings and submit the planning permission (if applicable) and building permit application for approval.

2. Registered Architect/Registered Engineer

The registration made by the applicant for the approval of planning permission and building permit application will be forwarded to the selected Registered Architect / Registered Engineer portal for further process. The Registered Architect / Registered Engineer upon receipt of the request made by the applicant shall make a site visit, collect all the documents from the applicant, prepare the drawing, submit it online for auto-scrutiny to ensure compliance with Development Regulations / Building Rules.

The list of documents collected by the Registered Architect / Registered Engineer is given in Annexure 1.

The Registered architect/registered engineer shall enter the registration details, inspection document details and Auto-DCR details online.The application fee is to be paid online by the Registered Architect / Registered Engineer for admitting the application

3. Assistant Executive Engineer:

The application submitted by the Registered Architect / Registered Engineer will be assigned a unique application number against which all the documents submitted online will be received in the Assistant Executive Engineer’s portal for further process. The Assistant Executive Engineer shall make a site visit within 7 days from the date of receipt of application by selecting a date on the portal, which will also be intimated to the Licensed Surveyor and applicant through SMS and e-mail.

During inspection, the plan submitted online is verified for the following:

Site boundary measurements

Access to the public road

Measurement of the road width

Surroundings of the plot to ascertain whether the plot abuts any drains, channels, water bodies etc.

Zoning of Land

After making the site visit on the scheduled date, the Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) shall submit the inspection report within 48 hours of site inspection online, which can be viewed by the applicant and Registered Architect / Registered Engineer.

After site inspection, the documents enclosed online are verified by the Assistant Executive Engineer. If the plan and information furnished by the applicant do not provide all the particulars necessary to process the application satisfactorily the Assistant Executive Engineer within 15 days from the date of receipt of plans or application

requires the production of such further particulars and details as it deems necessary. The message will be sent through SMS and email. The applicant or Registered Architect / Registered Engineer shall upload the requested documents online within 15 days from the date of such request made, else the application shall be processed with the available documents.

If the documents enclosed are sufficient for approval, the planning permission (if applicable) and building permit application shall be submitted for approval to the Executive Engineer.

4. Executive Engineer:

If any further clarification/documents are required by the executive engineer, the application will be sent back to the assistant executive engineer through the portal.

On receipt of the intimation for requirement of documents/clarification sought, the Assistant Executive Engineer shall intimate the clarification/documents to the applicant.

After receipt of the documents / clarification from the applicant or Registered Architect / Registered Engineer, the application will be submitted to Executive Engineer for approval.If the documents and plan satisfies the requirement of the Executive Engineer, the application will be approved in online and the “Demand Advice” is generated. SMS and e-mail is sent to the applicant requesting to make the payment either in online or by way of the Demand Draft.

5. Applicant:

The applicant shall make the payment online

6. Assistant Executive Engineer:

Verifies the payment done by the applicant and forwards the application to the Executive Engineer.

7. Executive Engineer

Approves the fees verified by AEE.

8. Assistant Executive Engineer

Generate the final building permit online. The applicant will be informed of the approval through SMS and e-mail.Applicant shall download the certificate online

9. Executive Engineer

Verify the plan final permit and approved plan in issued

Annexure 1 :

1.1 Checklist of documents to be submitted for Planning permission/building permit

Copy of documents (sale deed / lease deed / power of attorney) self-attested by the applicant.

Patta and adangal details attested by Deputy Tahsildar, if the details are not available in the database of revenue department.

Field Measurement Book (FMB) / Town Survey sketch attested by competent official of concerned department.

Copy of Patta / Chitta / Town Survey Land Records (TSLR) in owner’s name.

Encumbrance certificate for 13 years (in copy obtained up to the date which is not prior to 7 days from the date of submitting application).

Death and Legal heirship certificate if any.

Will Document or probated will copy, if applicable.

If the building is proposed to be located within 15 meters distance from the boundary of a water body or any channel (or) any type of water course the applicant shall submit an undertaking that necessary satisfactory arrangements would be made not to discharge any effluent into the nearby water body and contaminate it.

If the applicant proposes to put up a culvert across the channel / water course, then NOC of the concerned Government agency which is responsible for maintaining the water course has to be obtained.

If the site lies within a distance of 30 m from Railway property boundary, NOC from Railways has to be obtained.

If the site lies within a distance of 50 m on either side of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) alignment, NOC from CMRL is required.

NOC from Civil Aviation department (if required as per special rules for the vicinity of Civil Aerodromes), NOC from the competent authority of Air Force (if required as per the notification / order of the concerned Air Force Authority in respect of the area in the vicinity of Air Force Stations).

Structural stability certificate in Form A,B,C duly signed by the owner and including the Architect & Structural design engineer along with their seal and registration number.

NOC from Fire and Rescue Service Department.

For applications under Green Channel, following documents shall be submitted: Form duly filled in for certificate of work as per structural design sufficiency, Affidavit of undertaking by developer, architect, structural engineer about the structural stability aspects. Form duly filled in for supervision. Form duly filled in for certificate of work as per structural safety requirements.

Drawing related checklist points

Sewage treatment plan details shown in the Building Plan.

1.2 Checklist of documents to be submitted if the plot / land is in an approved industrial layout by SIPCOT / SIDCO:

Copy of documents (sale deed / lease deed / power of attorney) self – attested by the applicant.

Encumbrance certificate for 13 years (in copy obtained up to the date which is not prior to 7 days from the date of submitting application).

Death and Legal heirship certificate if any.

Will document or probated will copy, if applicable.

If the applicant proposes to put up a culvert across the channel / water course, then NOC of the concerned Government agency which is responsible for maintaining the water course has to be obtained.

Structural stability certificate in Form A, B, C duly signed by the owner and including the Architect & Structural design engineer along with their seal and registration number

NOC from Fire Service department if required.

If the site lies within a distance of 50 m on either side of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) alignment NOC from CMRL.

Drawing related checklist points:
(a) Rain water harvesting system shown in the Building Plan.
(b) Sewage treatment plan details shown in the Building Plan.

Copy of previously approved plan, if any

Buildling Approval Process in Corporation of Chennai

Corporation of Chennai is issuing planning permits under the delegation of powers issued by the Member-Secretary, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority to the Regional Joint/Deputy Commissioner for all the ordinary residential buildings / commercial buildings up to 9.0 m in height [Ground floor + First floor (or) Stilt + 2 floors – dwelling unit not exceeding 6 kitchen units and commercial area not exceeding 300 sq.m floor area], Industrial building & Institutional building up to a height of 15.25 meters.

Corporation of Chennai is issuing building permit to all type of buildings including the Special Buildings, Multi-Storied Buildings and group development for which the planning permissions are issued by C.M.D.A.

The application in this regard are to be submitted in the respective Regional Offices in Corporation of Chennai along with self attested documents. Submission of Notarized documents is not essential

The applicant shall not enclose any certificate with regard to tax due along with their application. The details of the tax due are verified in the online provision.

The structural design details to be enclosed are to be certified by the structural engineer. Based on the design furnished by the structural engineer the approval is issued. If it is found that the design details and execution of work is not as per the standards during construction or after construction the structural engineer and the applicant shall be held responsible and the registration of the structural engineer shall be summarily rejected.

To make the processing of the planning permission applications easier the whole system of processing are computerized. Each and every stage of the processing of the applications are being entered in computer. The applicants / land owners can view the various stages of their application in the website of Corporation of Chennai by referring the application number allotted to them while submission.

Moreover SMS alerts / e-mails are sent to the applicants / land owner at each stages. The applicant can act immediately if a letter is sent requesting to furnish additional documents / particulars by seeing the SMS alerts / e-mails. Further if it is sanctioned, the necessary fees to be paid are made known, so that the applicant can make the payment immediately and obtain the permits.

The plans are submitted online for checking for Development Regulations and Building Rules and any correction required are informed through online. The applicants shall make the necessary corrections and submit the plan for scrutiny. The Auto-DCR software is used for scrutiny of the plan submitted online.

A Checklist is used for verification of the documents while submission of the planning permission application.

The site for which the planning permission applications / building applications are submitted by the applicant will be inspected by officials of Corporation of Chennai within 3 days from the date of submission of the planning permission application / building application.

The officials for the inspection of the building is randomly assigned by the system and the date of inspection will be intimated to the building owner / applicant immediately on allocation of inspecting officials through SMS alters / E-mail.

The application are scrutinized and demand advice are issued within 30 days from the date of submission of the planning permission application building application.

If any documents / clarification are further required, it is intimated once and applicant is requested to furnish the same. On receipt of the requested documents / clarifications the application is further processed and approval issued.

If the requested documents / clarification are not furnished by the applicant, the application is retuned unapproved, stating the reason for the same.

On receipt of the payment for the demand advice the planning permit / building permit are issued within 7 days from the date of receipt of the payment. The SMS alerts/ email are sent to the applicant once the permit are ready.

The online submission of the applications are also available in which the applicant shall login and submit the planning permission application.

Provision has also been made for online payment for the fees required to issue the permits.

Conclusion

When it comes to building homes or commercial spaces that are strong, stylish, and legally compliant, choosing the right construction partner makes all the difference. At Noah Infrastructures, we combine expert craftsmanship, transparent processes, and end-to-end project management to deliver high-quality results every time.

From handling documentation and approvals to executing construction with precision, we ensure a smooth, stress-free experience for every client. That’s why we’re proud to be recognized as the best construction company in Chennai—where your vision becomes our foundation.

DTCP – Directorate of Town and Country Planning