'Schools built before 2011 need not submit proof for recognition'

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court held that educational institutions or schools which made constructions before 2011 need not get/furnish the building plan approval while renewing the schools' recognition.

Justice R Suresh Kumar passed the order on disposing of a batch of writ petitions filed by several schools and associations representing the schools and other educational institutions.

The petitioners sought a direction to quash the GO issued on August 10 directing the schools and educational institutions to submit their building approval certificates or proof of applying for building approvals while renewing the institution's approvals.

According to the petitioners, the state already issued GO No 76 in 2018 allowing schools which were built before Section 47-A of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act came into force in 2011 to apply for the renewal of their approval/recognition without submitting the building approval proof or application.

They further argued that the present GO issued in August overrides the GO 76 demanding the schools to attach building approval certificates along with the school approval renewal application.

Recording the submissions, the judge concluded that the members of the petitioners herein, who are the education institutions/schools or their managements if made any construction to run their educational institutions or schools after getting approval or without approval before January 1, 2011, the date on which Section 47-A of the Act has come into force, need not make any fresh application to the planning or building authorities for getting building approval.

The judge also noted that if any constructions were made after January 1, 2011, and no approvals were received by the school management, they shall apply for the building approval and submit the application details for getting the certificates.