Bhopal Municipal Corporation Makes Credibility Verification Mandatory For Building Permissions

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has tightened its building permission process, making credibility verification of applicants mandatory before approving construction plans for houses, commercial complexes and multi-storey buildings, which comes with 2% of supervision charge.

The move comes amid repeated instances of builders and property owners allegedly deviating from sanctioned plans and using residential premises for commercial activities.

According to BMC records, the civic body generated Rs 51.78 crore through its Building Permission Branch and Legal Colony Cell between April 1, 2025 and March 5, 2026.

Of this, the Building Permission Branch contributed Rs 16.51 crore including Rs 3.96 crore from supervision charges.

The legal colony cell generated another Rs 30.33 crore, with development permission fees, supervision charges and other levies forming a significant portion of the revenue.

The supervision charge, reportedly collected at 2%, was being levied on establishments based on permissions issued by the Corporation.

The new verification mechanism is intended to ensure that approvals are not misused and that sanctioned construction is actually followed on the ground.

Residential permissions allegedly used for commercial construction

BMC has identified several cases across Zones 1, 2, 3, 9, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20, where complexes were constructed on plots of around 2,000 to 2,500 sq ft.

In some cases, owners allegedly obtained permission for residential flats but subsequently constructed shops and rooftop penthouses.

There were also instances where construction exceeded the area approved in the sanctioned building plan. Complaints led to notices and enforcement action, with some cases eventually reaching courts.

Building permission revenue to be monitored weekly

To strengthen monitoring, municipal commissioner Sanskrati Jain has assigned city planners for each assembly constituency to track permission-related revenue.

Officials will now be required to report the revenue generated from building permissions during time limit meetings.

The stricter system comes at a time when the Corporation is also conducting a citywide drive against commercial activities operating from residential properties, with notices being issued to properties found violating permissible land-use norms.