Consultants invited for rationalisation and simplification of building rules

The Hindu

13-06-2025

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority has published a request for proposals (RFP) on Friday, to select a consultant for 'Rationalisation and Simplification of Existing Development & Building Rules and Preparation of Unified Development & Building Code' for the State of Telangana.
Citing 'sustainable development' and 'ease of doing business' for citizens and stakeholders as the government's vision, the RFP document said a strategic project has been initiated aiming for unifying, streamlining, and modernising the existing development and building rules, along with the associated 'citizen-facing' processes.
The current regulatory framework is governed by a series of government orders, building rules and zoning regulations, and has become increasingly complex and at times inconsistent, thereby affecting compliance, enforcement, and the overall ease of doing business, the document stated, listing a total 41 government orders and memos constituting building rules, amendments thereof, multiplex regulations, development plans, masterplans, road development plans, and other aspects pertaining to urban development.
The consultant agency will review and benchmark the existing development and building rules along with zoning regulations across Telangana against those of other progressive States in India and select East Asian and European cities. It will also rationalise the existing development and building rules along with zoning regulations to increase regulatory clarity, prepare a comprehensive Telangana Development and Building Code, propose uniform zoning regulations for Telangana to facilitate mixed use developments, facilitate required approvals at all levels and assist with statutory amendments, if any and enable citizen-friendly, transparent, and digitized processes.
As part of the review of the building code, the consultant is asked to provide recommendations on streamlining the key regulatory elements such as setbacks and building heights, road widening concessions, grant and utilisation of transferable developmental rights, vertical mixed-use development, parking norms, provision of amenities and utilities, mandatory NoCs and clearances, conservation regulations and others.
The agency to be selected will have to conduct a detailed comparative analysis about development, building and zoning regulations to bring them on par with the National Building Code and Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) guidelines, apart from building and zoning control regulations followed by progressive Indian States and select East Asian and European cities.
Study of flexible zoning regulations, simplified land use conversion, liberalisation of industrial and commercial plot regulations, simplified issuance of Occupancy Certificate, decriminalisation of minor infractions and legal reform are part of the brief.
Code drafting and simplification, recommendations towards procedural reform and enforcement mechanism, stakeholder engagement and legal and implementation support are some other terms of reference specified for the consultants.