Urban Art Commission to approve plans online now

The DUAC is going to approve designs online in the next six weeks.The Delhi Urban Art Commission is developing a separate portal which will facilitate design approval online. This project is a part of the e-governance plan.

“We are planning to develop the portal and do away with papers completely in the next four to six weeks. This project is being carried out on the directives of the government,” said a DUAC official.

However, officials working on the project said the technicalities are currently being worked out. Local bodies like the New Delhi Municipal Council and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi have been apprised of the development.

“We held a meeting with all the stakeholders on October 10. The fine details on how the portal will function are being worked out,” said the official.Once the portal is developed, the civic bodies will ask builders for building plans to be sent online. Whether the civic bodies will have exclusive rights to the portal or the DUAC will facilitate it has still not been decided on. Once the client sends the civic body the building design online, it will forward it to the DUAC.

“Such software will be installed which allow us to see the details of the design online. The modifications suggested will also be done online and it will be forwarded to the local body with the approval,” said the official.

The commission is also streamlining the sanctioning procedures by doing away with forms in general. “Less forms will be used now. The whole system will be people-friendly with simplified procedures,” said another official.

With Delhi set to get new unified building by-laws that would help the layman understand the norms of construction, the DUAC has invited public suggestions till November 17 to improve on it.

Besides, the commission is also in the process of setting up a high-power committee to review the recommendations. “As of now, we have thought of 22 representatives from different departments like fire, DDA, NDMC, DPCC, RWAs who will be advisors. The list is likely to expand,” said the official.