Also called: DTCP, Town planning approval, T&CP approval
Approval from a state's Directorate (or Department) of Town and Country Planning, usually for layouts and buildings outside the area of a metropolitan development authority.
How it works and what to check
Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and several other states have a town and country planning department. What it approves differs: in Haryana it also licenses private colonies; in Tamil Nadu and Telangana DTCP approval is the common badge on plotted layouts outside the Chennai and Hyderabad development authority areas.
A layout marketed as 'DTCP approved' should come with an approval number and a plan. Check that the number belongs to that layout and that your plot is on the plan.
Common questions
What does DTCP approved mean?
That the state's town and country planning department approved the layout or building. Ask for the approval number and plan.
Is DTCP approval better than panchayat approval?
For a layout, approval by the competent planning authority is what banks and buyers look for. Panchayat permission alone often does not cover layouts.