Goa goes for easier building bylaws and construction norms

The Department of Town and Country Planning (TCP) in Goa has notified the revised Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations. The new norms have for the first time taken into account comprehensive regulations for construction of shopping malls cum multiplexes. The revisions proposed include a provision for third party certification by notary architects and engineers for facilitating issuance of technical clearance/development permission/completion order by the Town and Country Planning Department for low-risk category buildings. These provisions have been introduced as part of the Ease of Doing Business being promoted by the Government. The revised guidelines, kept open for suggestions from the public till January 25, 2019, has envisaged issuance of technical clearances/development permission by the Planning and Development Authorities (PDAs) for low-risk category buildings without site inspection. For this purpose, the low-risk category building include ground + 2- storey building up to 500 sqm built-up area in plot limited to a similar size in an approved layout. The regulation has given exemption from obtaining technical clearance for operational constructions up to 200 sqm per mega watt for solar farms as envisaged in the Goa State Solar Policy 2017.