The New Indian Express 09.12.2017

Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority's online single-window system to be functional by April

Image courtesy to http://www.cmdachennai.gov.in/

CHENNAI: By the beginning of the next financial year, a builder or developer can submit and track his application for planning permission online without going in person to the office of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA).

It is learnt that the CMDA has set April 15, 2018 as the deadline for having the software ready for web-enabled single-window system for online submission, processing and disposal of applications for planning permission, building permit, completion certificate and occupancy certificate. This comes after the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras conducted a system integration study and developed software for the new system.

Usually, a developer has to obtain planning permission from the CMDA and also has to obtain building permit from local bodies such as the Corporation or municipality or town or village panchayat. Though planning permission and building permit are inter-related, their processing involves multiple agencies and multiple activities.

This is time-consuming and sometimes the process takes more than six months to a year for getting approval. The new system will formulate a seamless and hassle-free environment for web-enabled single-window online submission, processing and disposal of planning permission applications, building permit applications etc.

It is learnt that a 10-member team, led by chief planners of multi-storeyed buildings (MSB) and area plan units (APU), has been formed to help Softech Engineers in implementing it.

The software development work will start by December 16 and will be implemented initially for special buildings by January 30, 2018. It will later include multi-storeyed buildings and will be tested by the CMDA and IIT-Madras after which the software will be made for group development buildings, industries and institution, layout, reclassification and enforcement cells.

Afterwards, the integration of no-objection certificates (NOCs) from other departments into the single-window system including Greater Chennai Corporation and other local bodies will be done by April 15, 2018.

The IIT-M was approached by the CMDA after none of the tenderers was qualified enough to carry out the system integration study and development of software when tender was floated in September 2015.

It is learnt that IIT-M has suggested that land use information system data has to be fully updated including land acquisition details, court cases so as to integrate it with initial scrutiny records. It was also suggested to check the feasibility of chitta (year-wise ownership records) and adangal (yearwise land use records) as part of the mandatory documents submitted during admission.

Factfile

The aim of the project is to have a single window system for getting building approvals in the entire Tamil Nadu
The single window system will be web-enabled and citizen-oriented to facilitate transparency
It will prevent the sudden disappearance of CMDA files as the digitised records will be stored
The planning permission which usually takes six to eight months can be attained within 45 days
All stakeholders will be aware of the status of the file for easy tracking enabling higher proficiency