What is building plan approval?
Also called: sanctioned plan, naksha pass, map approval, building permit, approved building plan
Building plan approval is the local authority's sanction of a building's drawings: footprint, floors, height, setbacks, FSI, parking and services. The building must follow the sanctioned plan, and RERA stops a builder from changing it without buyers' consent.
Who approves depends on where the land sits. In Noida and Greater Noida it's the development authority, in Lucknow the LDA, in Delhi the MCD or DDA, in Gurugram's licensed colonies the DTCP, in Bengaluru the BBMP or BDA and in Hyderabad the GHMC or HMDA. Many cities now approve small residential plots online on an empanelled architect's self-certification. It's faster, but if the architect cuts corners, the owner carries the risk.
For flat buyers, the sanctioned plan is what the builder is legally held to. Section 14(1) of the RERA Act requires the project to follow the sanctioned plans and specifications. Under Section 14(2), changes to your own flat need your consent, and changes to the building or the common areas need the prior written consent of at least two-thirds of the allottees, not counting the builder.
The cautionary tale everyone in NCR remembers is Supertech's twin towers in Sector 93A, Noida. The Supreme Court found in August 2021 that the plans had been revised in breach of the building rules and without the existing residents' consent, and the towers were brought down in August 2022. Residents of the neighbouring Emerald Court had been shown that land as a garden.
Ask for the sanctioned plan, not the brochure layout. Check the number of floors, where the open spaces and clubhouse sit, and the date of the latest revision. Most state RERA portals carry it in the project documents.
A buyer in Greater Noida West compares the sanctioned plan on the UP RERA portal with the brochure and finds that the brochure's "central green" is marked for a future tower. The builder can build it only under a validly revised plan with the required consents.
Relying on the brochure or the sample flat. Only the sanctioned plan binds the builder, and it may show things the brochure leaves out.
Questions people ask about building plan approval
Can a builder add floors after I have booked?
Only through a revised sanction, and under Section 14(2) that needs prior written consent from at least two-thirds of the allottees other than the builder.
What does "naksha pass" mean?
It's the everyday Hindi phrase for getting a building plan sanctioned by the municipality or development authority. For a house on your own plot, you apply with drawings from a registered architect and pay the fees before starting work.