Digitised process to clear building plans gains popularity

The system of digital approval of building plans, introduced by South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) in April this year, is gaining in popularity with over 600 applications received in the first three months of its launch.
"Till June end, a total of 630 building plans were received for approval out of which 553 were cleared online. 284 of these approved maps were also issued digitally and only 9 applications were rejected due to incomplete information," said a senior SDMC official.
The civic body holds the distinction of being the only municipal corporation in the country to have introduced online approval of building plans through a single window system issuing the first such digitised building plan on May 27, said the official.

The online system has speeded up the process of approval and issuing of digitised maps by the civic body which earlier used to take months and involved physical effort with the applicants having to repeatedly visit the building department offices.
Currently all categories of building plans are being approved within 14 days. The maps of residential buildings are normally issued within a week. In some cases these were issued within 48 hours, said the officer.
With the system getting better in future, the time taken for approval of building plans and issuing digitised maps will go down further, he said.

The online system also enables the applicants to track the status of their applications without having to make rounds of the zonal office concerned. The applicants can also submit the fees and download the digitised approved maps online.
The civic body has done away with the process of receiving hard copies of the building plans after the new system was launched on April 8, said the official.