Approvals for all construction projects in Delhi and Mumbai are expected to get approved within 30-days through a single window clearance system that is expected to become operational beginning May. The process of providing a single-window system for all construction projects in Delhi and Mumbai is currently in the final stages of implementation.
As per the system, the builders will not have to run to each and every department like the fire services, water, arts, airports and monuments among others to obtain separate clearances as is the case currently. In Delhi, for example, agencies like the Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Urban Arts Commission, and the National Monuments Authority among others are being aggregated on a single online platform so that their approvals or disapprovals to a proposal can be obtained at one go saving months of time.
According to the Urban Development ministry, the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi have already reported substantial progress in respect of ensuring single window clearences for construction projects in the stipulated 30-days' time which was reviewed by Secretary Rajiv Gauba, of the Urban Development ministry on April 18.
Last year in September the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had decided to implement the 'Single Window' system in the city for giving various construction-linked approvals and permission. As per the proposal back then, the developers will need only 70 permissions compared to the earlier 200 permissions. BMC had said back then that it was doing away with around 130 permissions required for construction. The BMC had also decided to make building proposal department a single window department where documents related to different no-objection certificates (NoCs) will have to be compulsorily submitted by the developers during the online submission of the initial project plan.
Last month, the Urban Development ministry had announced the "single-window clearance" for construction plans for both residential and commercial properties to be operational within a months' time. The proposal exempts owners of residential plots of up to 105 square meters from seeking sanction of building plan. "The laws have been made user-friendly through unification and simplification of a host of amendments made over the last three decades and integration of approvals by different agencies into a single platform," the Urban Development minister Venkaiah Naidu had said on March 31. "The new process would reduce human interface and enable approvals in just 30 days," he had promised.
As per the current plan, there will be a four-page common application form that will be introduced by the urban local bodies of Delhi and Mumbai. Therefore, the municipal corporation of Delhi which looks after North, South and East Delhi will issue this four-page forms to the builders if there are requirements for construction in these areas.
According to a senior official, the municipal corporation of Delhi have already integrated the back end systems of their 10 departments and aligned the same with the common application format for faster approvals. These agencies include Heritage Conservation Committee, Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Jal Board among others. The integration of Airports Authority of India is currently underway.
The urban development ministry will now approach the Delhi Government to request them to direct the DISCOMs to provide all necessary approvals within 15-days of having received the applications.
Officials representing the Mumbai local bodies too have update the central ministry of the progress in adopting a similar single window clearance system which should be operational within the month of May.
BW Reporters
Ashish Sinha is an experienced business journalist who has covered FMCG, auto, infrastructure, tourism, telecom among several other beats. Ashish has keen interest in the regulatory scenario impacting different sectors. He writes on aviation, railways, post and telegraph, infrastructure, defence, media & entertainment, among a wide variety of other subjects.
