Tamil Nadu Regularization of Unapproved Layouts and Plots in Hill Areas Rules, 2020 (2020)
The Housing and Urban Development [UD4(3)] Department issued G.O. (Ms.) No. 66, dated 30 March 2020, notifying the Tamil Nadu Regularization of Unapproved Layouts and Plots in Hill Areas Rules, 2020. The rules establish case by case regularization of eligible unapproved layouts, subdivisions and plots in specified hill areas, subject to sale and registration cutoffs, departmental clearances, planning improvements and exclusions for protected or unsafe land.
What the rules govern
The Tamil Nadu Regularization of Unapproved Layouts and Plots in Hill Areas Rules, 2020 apply to specified hill areas under the Directorate of Town and Country Planning. The covered areas include hill areas listed in Annexure I, listed hill stations, certain local bodies, and listed villages or taluks in The Nilgiris, Dindigul and Salem districts. Hill areas listed in Annexure II are excluded.
The rules aim to regularize eligible developments while improving roads, circulation, open space and land reserved for public purposes, as far as feasible. Applications are considered individually rather than approved automatically.
Who may be affected
The rules are relevant to:
- Owners of plots in unapproved hill area layouts or subdivisions.
- Layout promoters, authorized landowners, registered cooperative societies and associations that developed layouts for sale.
- Buyers holding a registered sale deed or title deed executed on or before 20 October 2016.
- Local authorities and planning authorities responsible for processing regularization.
An unapproved layout is eligible for consideration only where some or all plots were sold through registered sale deeds on or before 20 October 2016.
Key conditions and exclusions
Regularization depends on the circumstances of each property. Important provisions include:
- No objection certificates are required from district level officials of the Forests, Geology and Mining, and Agricultural Engineering departments.
- Regularization of the overall layout framework does not automatically regularize individual plots. Each plot owner, or the promoter for unsold plots, must apply separately after the layout framework is regularized.
- Elephant corridors identified by the Environment and Forest Department, ecologically sensitive areas notified by the Government of India, and landslide prone areas identified by the Geology and Mining Department are excluded.
- Land affected by proposed road or rail corridors, planned street alignments, public land encroachments, ceiling laws, high tension or extra high voltage lines, and specified areas near reserve forests or wooded lands may not qualify.
- Development charges and regularization charges are payable, although the supplied text does not provide the applicable amounts.
For an individual plot, the competent authority may be the Commissioner, Executive Officer or Block Development Officer, depending on the type of local authority. Layout regularization is handled by the relevant planning authority or Town and Country Planning Department officer.
This summary is generated from the source document to help you find what is relevant. The PDF above is authoritative. For advice on your own property, use LandLens One or speak to a qualified professional.
Common questions
Does a registered sale deed dated before 20 October 2016 guarantee regularization?
No. It may satisfy the sale date requirement, but regularization is considered case by case and remains subject to departmental clearances, planning requirements and land based exclusions.
If the entire layout is regularized, is my individual plot automatically regularized?
No. Regularization of the layout framework does not automatically regularize an individual plot. The plot owner must apply separately, or the promoter must apply for unsold plots.
Can a plot in an elephant corridor or landslide prone area be regularized?
No. Elephant corridors identified by the Environment and Forest Department and landslide prone areas identified by the Geology and Mining Department are specifically excluded.
Which authority handles an individual plot application?
Depending on the local body, the competent authority is the Commissioner of the City Municipal Corporation or Municipality, the Town Panchayat Executive Officer, or the Block Development Officer for Village Panchayats.
