The Mayor of Kolkata, Firhad Hakim, has recently directed the buildings department to collaborate with architects or licensed building surveyors for expedited approval of building plans on plots not exceeding three cottahs. This move aligns with a new regulation allowing citizens to apply for building sanction online for smaller plots, ensuring quick approval within 15 days if the submitted documents adhere to civic regulations. The initiative aims to address delays and simplify the building plan approval process, emphasizing the Kolkata Municipal Corporation's commitment to supporting citizens in construction endeavours on smaller plots.
In a recent development in Kolkata, Mayor Firhad Hakim has directed the city's buildings department officials in various boroughs to collaborate with architects or licensed building surveyors (LBS) to expedite the approval process for building plans on lands not exceeding three cottahs. This move comes as part of a new regulation allowing citizens with smaller land holdings, measuring up to 3 cottahs, to engage an architect or an LBS and apply for building sanction online, bypassing potential delays in obtaining construction permits from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Under this new system, residents are required to submit their applications online, and if the provided documents adhere to civic building regulations, the plans will be approved within 15 days. Mayor Firhad Hakim emphasized the need for swift action by instructing officials to promptly address the concerns of residents facing unnecessary hurdles in the building plan approval process. The Mayor's directive followed a call received during the 'Talk to Mayor' session from a Behala resident who voiced frustration over the inaction in sanctioning the building plan for his small plot. Hakim promptly responded by instructing the director-general (buildings) to issue an order to executive engineers in the borough, urging them to train LBS registered with the KMC buildings department. This training aims to assist citizens in leveraging the benefits of the new building rules and facilitate a smoother approval process. According to a KMC official, the building rules now offer a fast-track approval mechanism for plans concerning buildings on smaller plots, particularly those on lands not exceeding three cottahs. The official stressed the importance of online approval for such plans, ensuring a streamlined process that should be completed within 15 days. Mayor Firhad Hakim announced the establishment of help desks at borough offices to aid citizens in submitting their building plans online, further demonstrating the civic body's commitment to providing relief from unnecessary obstacles in the construction approval process.