CREDAI hails AP plan for online approvals

Developers plea to other states to follow suit

Developers’ apex body CREDAI (Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India) has welcomed the realty reforms initiatives like online approval of building plans and single window system launched by the Andhra Pradesh government.

“These measures will go a long way in reducing the cost of housing in the State since building clearances can be expected to come quickly. Delays, as we have been pointing out, lead to cost escalation,” said Lalit Kumar Jain, National President of CREDAI.

Jain welcomed in particular the move by Andhra Pradesh Government to go in for online approvals. He said “CREDAI has suggested this long time ago to Centre and other States as it will cut down drastically the human interface for passing the files.Corruption is the biggest bane of realty and developers are blamed for it though we are victims of the corrupt system and not breeders of black money."

Currently, across the country, developers are subjected to a plethora of approvals involving human interface with over 40 officers at various stages and this gives rise to money changing hands. “But henceforth, we have decided not to pay bribes to any corrupt official,” he said. The State government has set up a committee to work out the online approval format.

“CREDAI also welcomes the single window system for submission of building plans,” Jain said and expressed the hope that other states will emulate it.

CREDAI had submitted a workable plan to the Centre to initiate realty reforms like online approvals and single window. “We wonder as to why the centre is not acting on ensuring speedy clearances while at the same time pushing for the one-sided Real Estate Regulator bill,” Jain lamented.