The New Indian Express 20.09.2010
GHMC to ‘fast track’ building permits
HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is going fast track by giving building permissions in four days, with the launch of a novel concept called Green Channel.Green Channel is an initiative to remove bottlenecks and facilitate construction work in the GHMC area. Under this facility, owners or builders will have the option to obtain expeditious approval of building permissions. GHMC officials said the new initiative will enable applicants to obtain building permissions from zonal and circle offices in four clear working days for plots up to 1,000 sq m and buildings with ground plus 3 floors. The new facility would be purely optional and not mandatory.
Applications for the new system will be received at the special Green Channel counter in the citizen service centres of all circle offices. Applicants would not be charged additional fees and charges for obtaining these permissions.
GHMC officials said the applicants who want to use the facility must approach architects registered with the GHMC for required scrutiny of their plans, to ensure conformity to the Master Plan, zoning regulations, building rules and regulations and orders issued by the government from time to time. Along with the building application, the registered architect should submit a certificate saying that all the rules and regulations have been adhered to and he is personally held responsible for any lapses in this matter.
On completion of the necessary scrutiny and certification of building plans, the applicants should submit their plans at the Green Channel counter in full, duly enclosing all relevant documents with payment of the prescribed fee in the form of a DD or pay order in favour of the commissioner, GHMC. The submitted plans will be scrutinised by the concerned town planning officials and permissions will be given within four clear working days without any site inspection. In case the staff fail to process the application within the stipulated time period, a penalty of Rs 50 per day will be levied on the concerned staff as per the Citizen Charter.
