The mandatory online submission will be applicable to the building plan above 300 sq m in its limit.

The civic body has taken the measure to avoid the delay in providing approval for the building plans above 300 sq m. The civic body takes at least a month to give sanction for a plan above 300 sq m.

 

At present, the civic body approves residential plan up to 300 sq m within a day under the one-day permit system.

 

Though the civic body had planned to launch the facility last year in the old corporation limit, the difficulty expressed by the registered architects, licensed building supervisors and engineers in purchasing original versions of AutoDCR to draw plans and obtaining PreDCR software for online submission of plan put the decision on hold.

 

Kozhikode corporation deputy mayor P T Abdul Latheef said they decided to make online submission of plan mandatory from July. "Through the move, we hope to make speedy clearance of building plans,'' he said.

An official with the engineering section with the civic body, said the preDCR software was incorporated in the Kerala Municipal Building Rules (KMBR) to pass the submitted building plans at the earliest.

 

"If the system works then it needs only three to five minutes to pass the submitted plan. The official can clear the plan within 10 to 15 days after conducting site inspection, verification of documents on remittance of fee. The system is hassle-free like online railway seat reservation facility. In the long run, the site inspection can be avoided with the cooperation of Global Positioning System into the system,'' said the official.

 

Job Mathew, district president of Licensed Engineers and Supervisors Federation (LENSFED) said they have purchased cheaper software ZWCAD from a China-based company headquartered in New Delhi. "The software similar to AutoDCR allows the user to make all required layers in one click for the drawing of an architectural plan. LENSFED purchased the software after some of the members expressed difficulty to purchase and install original version of AutoDCR software spending around Rs 1.5 lakh,'' he said.

 

"We don't know how the civic body will implement the mandatory submission of plans. The anomalies can be detected only after the launch of the system. LENSFED had already imparted training to 200 members in drawing the building plan using ZWCAD software and online submission process,'' he said.