"The Plan Is Sanctioned": What RERA Means by a Sanctioned Plan and What Bengaluru Buyers Should Ask
A Bengaluru buyer's guide to the RERA definition of sanctioned plan in Section 2(zq): the plans and permissions it covers, who approves them, where buyers can see them, the limits on changes, and a seven point request list before booking.
"The plan is sanctioned" is a reassurance a Bengaluru buyer may hear at a site office, usually while being shown a single glossy floor plate on a screen. It sounds complete. Under RERA it is not one document at all. The Act defines a sanctioned plan as a bundle that runs from the site plan to the parking and circulation plan to environment permission, and each piece answers a different question about the flat you are buying.
The short answer. Section 2(zq) of the RERA Act defines "sanctioned plan" as the site plan, building plan, service plan, parking and circulation plan, landscape plan, layout plan, zoning plan and other plans, including structural designs where applicable and permissions such as environment permission, approved by the competent authority before the project starts. The promoter must file the sanctioned plan with the registration application, make sanctioned plans available at booking, and develop the project in accordance with them. The trade-off: asking for the full set takes time and some patience at the sales desk, but a single floor plan tells you almost nothing about parking, services or the permissions the building depends on.
What does "sanctioned plan" mean under RERA?
A set of approved plans and permissions. Section 2(zq) of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 says "sanctioned plan" means the site plan, building plan, service plan, parking and circulation plan, landscape plan, layout plan, zoning plan and such other plan, and includes structural designs, if applicable, and permissions such as environment permission and such other permissions, which are approved by the competent authority prior to the start of a real estate project.
Two parts of the definition are easy to miss. The first is "parking and circulation plan", the plan to ask for when you want to understand parking and vehicle movement. The second is "permissions such as environment permission", which brings approvals beyond the drawings into the definition.
Who approves the sanctioned plan?
The competent authority. Section 2(p) defines the competent authority as the local authority or any authority created or established under any law by the appropriate government which exercises authority over land under its jurisdiction and has powers to give permission for development of such immovable property.
The definition in Section 2(zq) also fixes the timing. The plans and permissions it describes are those approved "prior to start of a real estate project". That makes the approval date on each document worth noting, alongside the commencement certificate the promoter must file.
Where can a buyer see the sanctioned plan?
In three places the Act creates. Section 4(2)(d) says the promoter's registration application must enclose the sanctioned plan, layout plan and specifications of the proposed project or the phase, and the whole project as sanctioned by the competent authority. Section 4(2)(c) adds an authenticated copy of the approvals and commencement certificate.
At booking, Section 11(3)(a) says the promoter shall make available to the allottee the sanctioned plans, layout plans, along with specifications, approved by the competent authority, by display at the site or such other place as may be specified by the regulations. After booking, Section 19(1) says the allottee is entitled to obtain the information relating to sanctioned plans, layout plans along with the specifications approved by the competent authority.
Our guide to the documents a buyer is entitled to at booking and handover covers the wider document trail.
What does each plan tell you about your flat?
Use each one to answer a practical question. Ask the site plan where your tower sits on the land. Ask the building plan which floors and units were approved. Ask the parking and circulation plan where your car will go. Ask the landscape and layout plans where the open spaces and internal roads are. Ask the zoning plan how the land use fits the project. Where a drawing does not answer the question, ask the promoter in writing.
Development works connect to the same plans. Section 2(zb) defines internal development works as roads, footpaths, water supply, sewers, drains, parks, tree planting, street lighting, community buildings, sewage treatment, solid waste management, water conservation, energy management, fire protection and fire safety requirements and social infrastructure, among others, "as per sanctioned plans". If a brochure promises a sewage treatment plant or a fire safety system, the sanctioned plans are where it should show up.
Work outside the site boundary is defined too. Section 2(w) says external development works include roads and road systems, landscaping, water supply, sewerage and drainage systems, electricity supply transformer, sub-station, solid waste management and disposal, or any other work which may have to be executed in the periphery of, or outside, a project for its benefit, as provided under local laws. An approach road or a transformer that the project depends on falls in this category, so ask who is responsible for it and when it will be ready.
Your agreement should line up with the plans. Section 13(2) says the agreement for sale shall specify the particulars of development of the project, including the construction of the building and apartments, along with specifications and internal development works and external development works. Read that schedule against the sanctioned plans you were shown.
Can the builder build differently from the sanctioned plan?
Not without following the Act. Section 14(1) says the proposed project shall be developed and completed by the promoter in accordance with the sanctioned plans, layout plans and specifications as approved by the competent authorities.
Section 14(2) then limits changes after disclosure. Once the sanctioned plans, layout plans, specifications and the nature of fixtures, fittings, amenities and common areas have been disclosed to a buyer, the promoter shall not make additions or alterations in respect of that buyer's apartment without the buyer's previous consent, apart from permitted minor changes, and shall not make other alterations to the plans of the buildings or common areas without the previous written consent of at least two thirds of the allottees, other than the promoter, who have agreed to take apartments in that building.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' FAQs on RERA, dated July 2025, put the same rule simply. Minor additions or alterations can be made after approval of the competent authority and disclosure to allottees, while a major modification needs approval from two thirds of the allottees, with apartments held by the promoter excluded from the count.
What you were shown also carries legal weight. Section 12 says a person who makes an advance or deposit on the basis of information in an advertisement or prospectus, or on the basis of a model apartment, and suffers loss because of an incorrect or false statement, shall be compensated by the promoter. If the model flat or brochure departs from the sanctioned plan, keep a record of both.
After handover, the plans are still your reference. Section 14(3) says that if any structural defect, or any other defect in workmanship, quality or provision of services, is brought to the promoter's notice within five years of handing over possession, the promoter must rectify it without further charge within thirty days, failing which the aggrieved allottees are entitled to appropriate compensation. Section 11(4)(b) separately makes the promoter responsible for obtaining the completion certificate or the occupancy certificate, or both, and making it available to the allottees individually or to the association.
Deviations from approved plans in practice are a separate subject. Our explainer on sanctioned plans and deviations in Bengaluru covers what to look for on site.
How do the components compare?
This table lists five of the plan types named in Section 2(zq) and what each helps a buyer check.
| Plan in Section 2(zq) | What it helps you check | Where to ask for it |
|---|---|---|
| Site plan | Position of the building on the land | Registration filing, Section 4(2)(d) |
| Building plan | Floors and units approved | At booking, Section 11(3)(a) |
| Parking and circulation plan | Parking spaces and vehicle movement | At booking, Section 11(3)(a) |
| Layout plan | Arrangement of the whole site | Registration filing, Section 4(2)(d) |
| Environment permission | A permission named in the definition | Ask the promoter, Section 19(1) |
What should you ask for before booking?
Ask for the full set, not a single drawing.
- Ask for the site plan and building plan with approval numbers and dates.
- Ask for the parking and circulation plan and find your parking slot on it.
- Ask for the layout plan for your phase and for the whole project.
- Ask which authority approved each plan and on what date.
- Ask whether environment permission or other permissions were required.
- Match the floor and unit in your allotment letter with the building plan.
- Keep copies of everything you were shown at booking.
For a project with a published K-RERA number, such as the one on our page for Sobha Insignia in Bellandur, use the number to find the registration record and compare the plans you are given with the project's filing.
Frequently asked questions
What is a sanctioned plan under RERA?
Section 2(zq) of the RERA Act defines it as the site plan, building plan, service plan, parking and circulation plan, landscape plan, layout plan, zoning plan and other plans, including structural designs where applicable and permissions such as environment permission, approved by the competent authority before the project starts.
Is the parking plan part of the sanctioned plan?
Yes. Section 2(zq) of the RERA Act names the parking and circulation plan within the definition of sanctioned plan. Section 11(3)(a) requires the promoter to make sanctioned plans, layout plans and specifications available to the buyer at booking and allotment, so ask to see the parking plan then.
Can I ask the builder for the sanctioned plans after booking?
Yes. Section 19(1) of the RERA Act says the allottee is entitled to obtain information relating to sanctioned plans, layout plans and specifications approved by the competent authority, and other information under the Act, rules, regulations or the agreement for sale signed with the promoter.
Can a builder change the sanctioned plan after I book?
Only within limits. Section 14(2) of the RERA Act bars additions or alterations to your apartment's disclosed plans without your previous consent, apart from permitted minor changes, and requires the written consent of at least two thirds of allottees, excluding the promoter, for other changes to the building or common areas.
Last updated 2026-10-21. PropNewz Team.
Contact Us
Stay updated with latest news and new projects!
Tell us what you want, We'll do the rest.
Share your budget and where you're looking. An advisor who has actually walked the sites will shortlist a handful of RERA-registered projects and tell you which to skip.