Online building permission started in Kolhapur for large layouts

The developers seeking building permissions for buildings to be constructed on a land plot with a size of more than 1500 sqft now have to file their application online. The decision has been taken by the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC). The demand for the online facility is being made since the last two years. The demand was not met due to several changes that had to be made in the development control rules. Since the last two years, the new rules for C-class municipal corporations have come into effect and these uniform rules have made it easy for the state government to develop the required software. According to officials, the move will reduce the pending cases and also ensure that the process is carried out in a transparent manner. The developers have to submit the details of their layout through the website www.mahavastu.maharashtra.gov.in. Also, a hard copy of the application has to be submitted to the town planning department of the KMC. Narayan Bhosale, the deputy town planner of the KMC said, “The developers, architects and engineers will get to know the status of their application. At present, the entire process is carried out manually and there are chances of the files being misplaced or an incomplete application being made, in cases where there is a lack of a checklist. Such issues will be addressed through the online facility. The developers and architects will get to know the DC-rules on the website itself. They can also verify the documents as per the rules put up online. Our task will be only to scrutinize the on-the-ground situation.” The KMC has appealed to developers, architects and engineers to register themselves on the portal as they will only be allowed to file their applications for building permissions online.