Now, professionals can plan, supervise building construction

The state government has issued a notification allowing registered professionals such as architects and structural engineers to plan, design and supervise building construction under ease-of-doing-business reforms.

The notification has been issued by the Urban Development Department under the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Model Building Bye Laws 2017. The notification significantly reduces interference of ULBs.

Accordingly, an architect registered with the Council of Architecture can prepare and sign all plans pertaining to building permits except that of multi-storeyed or special buildings; prepare building plans, drawings and issue certificate of supervision connected with development permits of up to 1 hectare in metro cities and 2 hectares in non-metro cities.

An engineer who is a member of the Institution of Engineers can prepare structural drawings, details and calculations of buildings on plot up to 500 sqm and up to 5 storeys of 16m in height and issue certificate of supervision. A town planner can prepare layout plans for all areas more than one hectare.