Panchayat officials unaware of new building plan approval rules, reveals RTI reply Updated: Updated: Share Article AAA The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department is unaware of the Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules, 2019 and the Department of Housing and Urban Development order delegating building plan approval power for residential buildings to panchayats, replies from the Department officials to a series of Right to Information (RTI) queries have revealed. The rules framed by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department in February 2019 have allowed local bodies to approve building plans for five years and thereafter give a one-time extension of three years.