TN Minister Unveils Urban Reforms, AI Approvals and OMR Street Projects

Tamil Nadu Minister for Housing and Urban Development B. Rajkumar announced a comprehensive package of urban planning reforms in the Legislative Assembly, introducing artificial intelligence-backed single-window building approvals, digital land sales, and corridor transformation projects along OMR.

The policy measures aim to modernise administrative frameworks, reduce bureaucratic delays, and expand public housing infrastructure across the state. Under the new initiatives, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is developing an AI-powered integrated clearance system called "SPEED." The platform links the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), CMDA, and local bodies into a unified online portal, cutting multi-storey building approval timelines from over three months to approximately 45 days.

In Chennai, urban mobility and infrastructure upgrades are being prioritized alongside spatial planning. The Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) is preparing model street transformations along the OMR and Pallavaram–Thoraipakkam corridors, in addition to expanding transit features on the 'Chennai One' ticketing application. Concurrently, the CMDA is finalising the Third Master Plan (2027–2046), which covers 1,189 square kilometres, while drafting a broader planning framework for the expanded 5,904-square-kilometre capital region.

Digital property distribution has also expanded through the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB). The board rolled out an online sales portal on August 12, 2026, listing 7,659 units comprising plots, flats, and commercial sites on a first-come, first-served basis. The portal has drawn 6,082 applications, leading to the sale of 660 homes so far. TNHB is also executing boundary fencing, computerisation, and geo-tagging to prevent encroachments on public land banks.

To aid smaller developments, the government introduced self-certification approvals on June 22, 2026, for green and white category industrial buildings up to 10 metres in height on plots up to 7,500 square feet, issuing 322 approvals to date. Deadlines for regularising unapproved educational buildings constructed before 2011 have been extended to July 5, 2027, and layout regularisation applications to June 30, 2027.

Addressing social housing, the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) is completing 27,407 residential units during this financial year as part of a state objective to eliminate urban slums before 2031. Across districts, DTCP is developing GIS-based regional plans for 10 regions, with initial draft reports for Madurai, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Vellore, and Villupuram due by April 2027, alongside GIS master plans for 130 towns.