The Times of India        10.01.2011

HYDERABAD: There is an overwhelming response from builders and land owners for `Green Channel', where building applications are cleared within four working days.

As many as 526 building permissions were granted by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the last three months. Incidentally, the highest number of applications were processed in Kukatpally (circle 14), where 61 permissions were granted, followed by Circle 10 (Khairatabad) with 58 applications and Qutubullapur (Circle 15), where 57 permissions were given while only four buildings were permitted in Circle 8 (Abids area).

The GHMC had introduced `Green Channel' on October 18, 2010 to dispose of building applications, where there are clear documents, to prevent corruption in the town planning wing. As per this system, the official concerned would be penalised at the rate of Rs 50 per day, if there is any delay, in clearing files till the permission is granted. The amount would be recovered from the salary of the officer concerned. Most importantly, no additional fee would be levied for builders under this channel.

However, the `Green Channel' is being implemented for giving building permissions for ground+three floors (12 metres height), excluding parking floors or 1,000 square metres area plots in the corporation area.

As of now, building permissions under the Green Channel were being granted in layouts approved by either the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority or GHMC. The applications would have to be submitted through registered architects to ensure that plans conform to master plan and zoning regulations.

"Initially, there were doubts about the Channel but now the response is increasing every day," GHMC commissioner Sameer Sharma said.