Projects Face Delay As Online Building Approval System Fails To Kickoff In Gujarat

The Gujarat government in May this year launched an Online Development Permission System (ODPS) to allow developers to get online building approvals. Five months later, the system has failed to kickoff. According to developers, for these five months they have been trying to upload their documents, but, in vain. There has been a glitch in uploading the documents on the ODPS causing a delay in submission and hence, approvals. This, developers say, has brought the business to a standstill.

According to Credai’s Gujarat chapter, only 8 per cent of the projects have received the necessary clearances until August.

In Ahmedabad alone, there are over 300 projects that have to go through the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority to get the necessary building approvals. However, these projects are being delayed because of a delay in approvals.

Now, the affected developers across the state have been asked to travel to Gandhinagar to upload their documents on the system to get necessary approvals. The reports suggest that the current software being used to upload documents is not up to the mark and cannot read common General Development Control Regulation (GDCR) which contains 400 pages of by-laws.

The ODPS is a computerised system using Geographic Information System (GIS). When launched it was implemented in all the municipal corporations, municipalities and urban development authorities across the state with an aim to reduce human interface.

However, the developers will now take up this issue with the local bodies and visit their offices to submit a memorandum on September 20.