Approval must

Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) would soon start an online system for approval of building plans and maps to bring transparency in construction activities.

Under the online mechanism for building plan approvals, registered architects with the civic body would be required to upload the digital maps of the buildings on the website, which would be automatically scanned through a software developed for the process.

It would be kept on the website for 15 days for inviting objections. If the software does not find any error in the map and no objections are received in 15 days, it would be considered approved.

PMC commissioner Kuldip Narayan made an official announcement in this regard during a news meet on Tuesday. “Trial runs of the online submission of building plans and maps are being done. We would formally launch the system shortly,” he said.

The process of online building map approval would also allow prospective property buyers to see the approved designs of their flats. Moreover, upon purchase, the system would be updated with the details of the buyer to eradicate any fraudulent practice. The entire system is being developed by UKaid, the erstwhile Department for International Development of the UK government.

The PMC commissioner also informed that vigilance cases have been lodged against 20 multi-storeyed buildings in the Kankerbagh circle, which were constructed along the roads that are less than 20ft wide.

“A team of engineers has been appointed for doing spot-verification of the buildings against which vigilance cases have been lodged. Similar vigilance cases have been filed against many buildings beyond the flood protection line of the city,” said Narayan.

Following directives of the Patna High Court, the PMC in June and July issued notices to 1,241 buildings for submitting construction-related documents to it, out of which construction was prohibited on 449 buildings. However, owners of 362 buildings did not furnish the documents sought by the civic body, after which the PMC issued fresh orders on August 7 and 8 to the police stations concerned to stop construction activities on such buildings.

“There are several buildings, which are being constructed without the plan and map being approved by the PMC. Several others have simply not turned up yet with the corresponding building-approval documents. Thus, orders were issued to several police stations to stop construction activities (owners of which) have either failed to furnish documents or carried on with construction activities despite a ban,” Narayan had said earlier.