Odisha Govt moves to make building plan approval simpler

Building planIn a major move, the Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UD) has proposed to make the building plan approval simpler, across the state, so that persons having land in an approved layout plan area do not need to go to the development authorities for approval of their plans.

In a draft proposal, for which a stakeholders’ meet was organised recently at the BMC Council Hall, senior officials of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) said that up to a land area of 5,000 square feet, architects or recognised technical persons can give the approval for low-risk buildings.

This would, however, lessen the plan approval burden on the development authorities or municipal corporations and make the issue of no objection certificate simpler and faster after the construction of the structure.

In future, however, the process is likely to get automated through an I-T based software so that people can apply online and get their approval within a stipulated period.

The stakeholders’ meet was called today inviting architects, planners, policy makers, senior urban development and civic officials to get views from the participants on the various provisions of the Draft Common Application Form (2016) Rules. The draft legislation will be open towards suggestion for stakeholders till July 5.

It can be mentioned here that while the architects or competent `technical persons’ can provide the service of building plan approval through project management organisations, the development authorities concerned will act as `gate keepers’ and do random checking of the projects to know whether things are running as per the provisions of Odisha Development Authority (ODA) Act, 1982, or not.

Participants took part in the discussion through a lively environment and the H&UD officials also invited their suggestions to be submitted before the due date of July 5 so that the state government can study and include them in the final draft.

These draft rules will bring in more professionalism into the trade as any architect or firm from across the country can take part in the building plan approval process in near future.