BENGALURU: The Urban Development Department and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) set a timeline for approving building plans and the rates to be levied. However, due to the lack of data and poor coordination with other government departments, this is yet to be implemented on the ground. Normally, any project’s clearance, depending on the plot’s size, will take anything between a month and three years. However, under the Ease of Doing Business initiative, the UDD and BBMP have said that clearances should not take more than 20 days.
According to the recent order, a copy of which is with TNIE, the plan sanction for low-risk buildings should be given within 10 days and for moderate to high-risk buildings within 17 days. The commencement certificate should be given in seven days for low-risk buildings and 10 days for moderate to high-risk buildings. The occupancy certificate should be issued in 10 days for low-risk buildings and 17 days for moderate to high-risk buildings.
The fee to be paid for the sanction of building licences, commencement certificates and penalties has also been defined, based on the guidance value, but has not been implemented. BBMP officials stated that the timeline needs to be implemented first. “The timeline announced for clearing projects is difficult to implement as the data needed to clear projects is not available on one dashboard. The biggest problems the BBMP faces is from the BDA, the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority and Public Works Department,” a senior BBMP official told TNIE on condition of anonymity.
“The major problem in going online and implementing the Centre’s Ease of Doing Business initiative is the lack of data. The problem is not just from other departments but within BBMP also. Many files are at the zonal level and they have not been shared with the head office. Data of the newly added CMC and TMC areas is not linked. Similarly, since the area under BBMP has expanded, information from the zilla panchayats, town panchayats, BMRDA and BDA have also not been included. The BDA’s master plan is not accessible online. The same is the case with environment departments as clearances are given based on the buffer zone and green belt area,” the official added.
The official said that going digital and bringing in transparency was difficult.“The orders were issued last month, but still there is a delay in implementation as neither is the information nor are all the departments online. Citizens still continue to shuffle between offices and departments with files for clearance,” he said.