Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has introduced a unified zoning policy for all municipal corporations, municipalities, and urban development authorities. The move aims to standardize land use rules, reduce confusion, and promote sustainable urban and semi-urban development.
Previously, the state had 16 separate land use categories, which caused overlapping regulations and administrative challenges. Senior officials conducted research on best practices in Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana before recommending a cohesive zoning framework. Suresh Kumar, a senior official, emphasized that a unified approach will replace fragmented rules and simplify compliance.
The government noted that past master plans often showed land use zones inconsistently. Different zoning regulations across master plans created difficulties for the public, licensed technical personnel, and implementing agencies. The inconsistent rules complicated understanding and application of land use norms.
Currently, building permissions are issued through the Online Building Permission System (OBPS). Officials stated that it is difficult to customize all zoning regulations on a single platform. The unified zoning policy will allow automated, consistent application of rules, reducing manual interpretation and interventions while streamlining urban planning across the state.
