UP reforms urban planning rules, opens new powers to smaller cities and towns

Uttar Pradesh has approved amendments to its municipal law that will allow urban local bodies without development authorities to prepare master plans and approve building maps, in a move aimed at strengthening planning powers across smaller cities and towns.

The decision was taken at a state Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday, October 9. The government also approved Model Building Regulations 2026 for areas under industrial development authorities to simplify building and plot-map approvals.

Of Uttar Pradesh’s 762 urban local bodies, 559 do not have a development authority. The amendments to the Uttar Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1916, will allow these local bodies to undertake planning functions that have generally been handled by specialised development authorities in areas where such bodies exist, reported The Hindustan Times.

The reform is expected to give municipal administrations a more direct role in preparing master plans and processing building maps. It could also help address planning and approval requirements as urban areas expand and demand for housing, commercial premises and public infrastructure increases.

The Cabinet’s separate approval of Model Building Regulations 2026 focuses on areas governed by industrial development authorities. The regulations are intended to simplify building and plot-map approvals while improving land utilisation and encouraging private investment.

The state government expects the industrial-area reforms to support investment across sectors including manufacturing, information technology, tourism, logistics, healthcare, education and real estate.

The two decisions form part of a wider set of Cabinet measures covering urban development, industrial investment, technology, employment and public welfare.

The amendments to the municipal law are particularly significant for urban local bodies that currently lack a dedicated development authority. Their implementation will determine how the new planning responsibilities are exercised and how master-plan preparation and building approvals are handled at the local level.