COIMBATORE: The council of architecture (COA), a national body constituted to regulate the practice and study of architecture, has written to the chief secretary of Tamil Nadu to direct local and municipal bodies to verify the validity of registration of architects when they submit a drawing or building plan for obtaining approval. 

However, the council and the local planning authority have conflicting views on allowing engineers submit and get building plans approved. 

The communication said the council had received complaints that non-architects were practising as architects using fake certificates under the jurisdiction of municipal corporations and local bodies. The communication, sent to the chief secretary of the state, has been forwarded to local body authorities through the department of technical education earlier this month. 

....

However, when contacted, an official of the local planning authority in the city said while professionals with BArch degrees had to register with COA and practise as ‘architects’, other professionals with engineering (BE, ME or diploma) or equivalent degrees could get licensed as ‘registered engineers’ with the local bodies and get plans approved. “While COA can control architects, engineers are licensed by local bodies. Both can submit plans and get them approved,” said the local planning authority official. 

....