Delhi, Mumbai To Give Construction Permits Online 

Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu recently voiced his concern over the challenges of doing business in India. Calling it a paradox, he said India was one of the fastest-growing countries in the world but was perceived to be difficult to do business or invest in. While speaking at a workshop on 'Ease of Doing Business for Construction Permits in Delhi', he said if business processes were improved and made transparent in urban areas, millions of people would be lifted from poverty.

As an effort in this regard, the government had decided to give a free hand to the local civic bodies of Delhi and Mumbai in granting construction permits, he said. Therefore, the civic bodies of these two cities will go online for building sanction plans.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will stop accepting applications for building permits by May 15 and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is set to kick-start its digital application process by October 2 this year.

The minister urged other states to follow suit and usher in greater transparency. He said the legislature bodies were not implementing Bills in time, another reason that was holding back the country from reaching its full potential. Absence of direct human intervention would not only make the process faster but also leave little room for bribery, he said. Naidu assured that anybody violating the norms of the Bill would be prosecuted according to the law. “Until the (real estate) Bill is implemented, the present system of manual and online application process will continue,” he added.