Office Order No. 16/2016
The Administration Division of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority issued Office Order No. 16/2016 on 30 August 2016 to revise land verification requirements for planning permission applications. It withdraws Office Order Nos. 6/2016, 8/2016 and 11/2016, and replaces their Tahsildar certificate process with Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority verification of water body and poromboke status, together with an applicant affidavit covering land ceiling, land reforms and land acquisition.
What the office order does
Office Order No. 16/2016, issued by the Administration Division of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority on 30 August 2016, changes how land status is checked when planning permission applications are examined. The guidelines took effect immediately.
Earlier office orders required fresh planning permission applications to include Tahsildar certificates confirming that the site was not a water body or poromboke land, and was not covered by land ceiling or land acquisition. Representations were received about requiring these certificates for development in approved layouts and in areas where development had already been permitted.
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority therefore withdrew:
- Office Order No. 6/2016 dated 9 February 2016.
- Office Order No. 8/2016 dated 26 February 2016.
- Office Order No. 11/2016 dated 5 April 2016.
Who is affected
Office Order No. 16/2016 affects applicants, promoters and developers submitting plans to the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority. It also directs Planning Assistants and Assistant Planners who scrutinise those plans.
Property owners and buyers may encounter the resulting revenue record checks or applicant affidavit when land is involved in a planning permission application.
How water body and poromboke status is checked
Office Order No. 16/2016 requires the scrutinising official to verify whether land is a water body or poromboke by using:
- The PLR Register for Chennai city.
- Village accounts, including the A Register or Adangal, where applicable.
- Revenue records made available online to the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority by the National Informatics Centre or the Land Administration Department.
- Records collected from the Chennai Collector or concerned local bodies when PLRs are unavailable online because they have not been computerised.
Where a development involves more than one survey number, the official must also refer to the village map. This check is intended to identify any missing survey number in the developer's combined sketch, including omitted survey numbers relating to Government poramboke or a water body.
Affidavit for other land restrictions
Office Order No. 16/2016 requires a self declaration from the applicant, promoter or developer concerning land acquisition, the Land Reforms Act 1961 and the Land Ceiling Act 1978. The declaration must be an affidavit on Rs.20 stamp paper, indemnifying the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and accepting liability for future consequences if the land falls under any of those categories.
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Common questions
Do I still need the Tahsildar certificates required by the earlier office orders?
Office Order No. 16/2016 withdraws the three earlier office orders that required those certificates. It instead directs Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority officials to verify water body and poromboke status from revenue records and requires an applicant affidavit for specified other land restrictions.
How will the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority check whether my land is a water body or poromboke?
The scrutinising official must use the PLR Register for Chennai city or relevant village accounts, including the A Register or Adangal. Online revenue records, non-computerised records collected from the appropriate authority, and village maps may also be checked.
What declaration must a planning permission applicant provide?
The applicant, promoter or developer must provide a self declaration as an affidavit on Rs.20 stamp paper concerning land acquisition, the Land Reforms Act 1961 and the Land Ceiling Act 1978. The affidavit must indemnify the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and accept liability for future consequences if the declaration is wrong or false.
Will survey numbers be checked when several parcels are included in a plan?
Yes. When more than one survey number is involved, the scrutinising official must refer to the village map to check whether the combined sketch omits any survey number relating to Government poramboke or a water body.
