Telangana government launches TS-bPASS for taking building permission approval

The TRS government set a benchmark in building approval system in the country on Monday, when it launched the Telangana State Building Permission Approval and Self Certification System (TS-bPASS), a single window reforms process that facilitates easy permissions for construction activity.

The TS-bPASS complements other reforms introduced in the Revenue Department such as Dharani, a one-stop portal for all matters pertaining to land transactions and management.

“Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has always believed that it is important to bring in new laws and reforms into the system that will save time and money for the exchequer and make that money useful for betterment of the people of the State,” Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K T Rama Rao said, unveiling the TS-bPASS at a programme here.

Stating that registrations and mutation of properties in the past administrations always required one to pay bribe to get their work done, he said Dharani ensured that land transactions were transparent and corruption-free. “Telangana’s reforms will remain the benchmark for the rest of the country. Mission Bhagiratha for instance has been emulated by 11 States in the country. Rythu Bandhu has been appreciated by the Central government and is being closely studied.

Dharani has been another major move towards transparency,” the Minister said, adding that the government will be bringing in stringent laws under the soon-to-be introduced GHMC Act that will have specific



provisions on encroachment of lakes and nalas.

The real estate sector was among the first to welcome the progressive policy, with R Chalapathi Rao, president, Telangana Real Estate Developers’ Association (TREDA), declaring that Telangana was the only State in the country to come out with a fast-track approval system that will give clearances in just a few minutes, “even faster than the RTGS.”

Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (Credai), Hyderabad, president P Rama Krishna Rao, hailing TSbPASS said: “Time is of essence to the construction business and the State government has considered our request. This will certainly attract investments from builders across the country.”

Even as the realtors welcomed the move, Rama Rao, in his address, stuck a note of caution and appealed to real estate developers and industry leaders to keep real estate prices affordable. “Hyderabad has seen consistent growth in real estate and the city has been known for its best quality of living and affordable real estate. “Developers should ensure that we don’t lose the city’s USP of being an affordable place,” he said.

The Minister said TS-bPASS, with statutory backup, ensures transparency, corruption-free, time-bound building permission system. Though a beginning was made in 2015 in the form of Development Permission Management System (DPMS), it didn’t have a statutory backup. But TS-bPASS has all the statutory backing, he said.