To bring more transparency and save people’s time, Punjab Local Government Minister Brahm Mohindra on Thursday issued instructions to all the Commissioners and Regional Directors of the Municipal Corporations to approve the building plans only through online portal from August 6. The instructions will be implemented with immediate effect.

The initiative, apart from putting an end to people running from pillar to post to get approvals, will also remove intermediaries from the system.

Mohindra said that Punjab Government is committed to provide maximum e-facilities to the general public under e-service program and e-portal has been launched on August 15, 2018, to accomplish this target.

“Earlier, there were some technical issues in the portal. Now this has been resolved and the portal has been restarted in a well-designed manner so that the general public has not faced any difficulty in getting online approval of building plans and other services. Now, the government has launched these hassle free online services along with Online Building Plan Approval System (OBPAS),” he added.

The Minister said that the people can get online building plan approval, online layout approval, online change of land use approval, online approval of telecommunication towers and online approval NOC of plots under regularization policy with OBPAS system.

With the introduction of above services, Local Bodies OBPAS will ensure faster and hassle free service to the citizen of the state.

The Minister added that building plan and other services are easily available on portal in a hassle-free manner. “After August 5, 2020, all these works in the Department being done only through e-portal and any work will not be dealt manually,” he said.

“Now, the people would be able to make online submission through online portal – e-naksha. The people would be benefitted by the computer verification of CAD drawing file, online payment facility, movement of files and approvals within stipulated timelines, status shared online, e-mail and through SMS to applicants, computer-generated certificate with digital signature and moving towards improved monitoring of projects for RERA compliance,” he said.Mohindra said that all the officers have been instructed to ensure these orders and in case of non-compliance, strict action would be taken against erring officers.