Govt comes up with fresh sops for construction of green buildings

Vijayawada: In a major push towards sustainable urban development, the state government announced on Thursday a fresh set of policy incentives to promote green building construction.

Principal secretary for municipal administration and urban development (MA&UD) S Suresh Kumar addressing the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Green Andhra Summit 2025 held in Amaravati on Tuesday reiterated the state’s commitment to climate-resilient infrastructure, emphasising the building sector’s role as a critical intervention point for climate action, contributing nearly 40 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

He stressed that sustainability must be integrated at the design stage to avoid costly retrofits, noting that 70 per cent of India’s built environment for 2030 is yet to be constructed, presenting a historic opportunity to embed green norms in urban planning.

The government introduced new fiscal benefits, including impact fee concessions of 10 per cent for IGBC Silver-rated buildings, 15 per cent for Gold-rated, and 20 per cent for Platinum-rated, alongside registration fee refunds of 10 per cent for Silver, 15 per cent for Gold, and 20 per cent for Platinum upon project completion. These measures complement existing incentives, such as a 20 per cent reduction in permit fees, flexibility to pay development charges in four equal installments, and a 20 per cent one-time concession on property transfer duty for projects sold within three years, subject to occupancy certificate submission.

The state is also extending green building standards to public infrastructure, with the Andhra Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (APMRCL) and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) signing Memoranda of Understanding with IGBC to certify metro stations, depots, municipal buildings, and infrastructure under green norms. Suresh Kumar urged citizens to choose green-certified homes and engage in community-level sustainability initiatives. The summit convened representatives from MA&UD, APCRDA, APMRCL, NREDCAP, along with leading urban planners, infrastructure developers, technology experts, and sustainability advocates from across India to discuss strategies for advancing green construction.