Section 217B in Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act, 1920
217B. Prohibition of construction or reconstruction of buildings, etc., without licence.
(1)No person other than the Central or State Government or local authority, shall -(a)construct or reconstruct a building on any land; or(b)put to use any agricultural land to any non-agricultural purpose; or(c)carry out any engineering, mining or other allied operations on any land, within the area of the hill station without a licence granted by the State Government and except in accordance with the terms and conditions specified in such licence.Explanation. - For the purpose of the provisions of this Chapter, "agriculture" includes, horticulture, fruit growing, seed growing, animal husbandry (including breeding of livestock), apiculture, pisciculture anti sericulture and "agriculture" shall be construed accordingly.(2)(a)When any department of the Central Government or State Government or any local authority proposes to carry out any construction or reconstruction of building on any land or put to use any agricultural land to non-agricultural purpose or carry out any engineering, mining or other allied operations on any land within the area of the hill station, the officer-in-charge thereof shall inform, in writing, the Committee for Architectural and Aesthetic Aspects constituted under section 217-C (hereinafter in this Chapter referred to as the Committee) the intention to do so, giving full particulars thereof, and accompanied by such plans and documents at least three months before commencing such activities.(b)Where the Committee raises any objection to the proposed construction or reconstruction or putting to use any agricultural land to non-agricultural purpose or the carrying out any engineering, mining or other allied operations, on the ground that such proposal is not in conformity with the provisions of this Chapter or the rules made thereunder or for any other material consideration, the officers of Central Government or the State Government or any local authority, as the case may be, shall,-(i)either make necessary modifications in the proposed construction or reconstruction of building or putting to use any agricultural land to non-agricultural purpose or the carrying out any engineering, mining or other allied operations to meet the objection raised by the Committee; or(ii)submit such proposal together with the objections raised by the Committee to the State Government for approval.(c)The State Government, on receipt of such proposal together with the objection of the Committee, shall in consultation with the Committee, either approve the proposal with or without modification or direct the officer to make such modification in the proposal as they consider necessary in the circumstances and the officer concerned shall be bound to make such modifications as proposed by the State Government.
