Homes in city might get cheaper

Civic body has halved number of permissions needed for constructing buildings

In a bid to improve Mumbai’s ease-of-doing-business ranking, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has halved the number of permissions required for constructing buildings. The civic body has also decided to implement a ‘single-window’ system to give these permissions.

Civic officials have said that, besides significantly reducing the time taken for constructing buildings, this would bring down the spiraling housing prices in the city.

Developers will have to procure only 58 permissions instead of the 119 clearances that were required earlier. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis released the booklet for the revised building proposal sanctions at the Sahyadri Guest House on Saturday. “The new guidelines will make the building construction process more transparent and speedy. If these permissions are given on time, affordable housing can become a reality,” he said.

In the earlier set up, the process for giving construction licence permissions was time-consuming, with developers having to take number of permissions related to construction, power connection, labour, stamp duty, revenue and shops and establishments in a stage-wise manner. Under the new guidelines, the permissions will be given simultaneously, due to which the period required for procuring them will be shortened from more than a year to merely two months.

The building construction proposals will now be scrutinised at the assistant engineer level. Proposals regarding floor space index (FSI) will also be processed at the executive engineer level. This will expedite the scrutinisation process, said civic officials.

There were earlier 89 various types of fees that were to be paid by developers at many stages in several departments. As the BMC has now adopted a single-window system, all fees can be paid at one place.

In addition to this, developers need not have to depend on the civic body to get permissions for internal sewerage systems, water connections, electricity and other technical factors in their constructions, as they can get it approved from the private consultants.

Under the new system, the occupation certificate (OC) and commencement certificate (CC), which were earlier given separately, will be given together. Furthermore, it is also proposed to sanction the building map and construction of plinth within 21 days.

Vinod Chitore, chief engineer (BP), said, “We have scrapped several permissions that had become redundant over the course of time. We have also started substitute system, under which developers can get permission through private consultants. The civic body will now give all these permissions in one go.”