Tamil Nadu Bill Seeks to Remove Collector's Nod for Wetland Projects

The Tamil Nadu government has introduced a Bill in the Assembly to amend the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971, proposing to eliminate the requirement of the District Collector's prior concurrence for wetland development in non-planning areas. The legislation, tabled on Tuesday, seeks to instead empower the Director of Town and Country Planning to grant prior permission to local authorities for such projects.

Housing and Urban Development Minister B. Rajkumar, while introducing the Bill, stated that the existing mandate for Collector's approval has resulted in avoidable delays in processing and disposing of planning permission applications.

Currently, Section 47-A(2) of the Act requires local authorities to obtain the Director's prior concurrence for land development outside planning areas. For wetlands specifically, an additional concurrence from the District Collector is also mandated. The proposed amendment removes this additional layer.

The Bill also proposes the creation of full-time Chairman and Member-Secretary positions for Urban Development Authorities. The government argues that spatial planning, infrastructure development, and urban growth regulation require sustained, dedicated attention and timely decision-making. The District Collector would remain a member of the Authority to ensure coordination with district administration.

The Bill was opposed by the AIADMK, CPI, and CPI(M), while the DMK and PMK sought a debate for further clarification.