Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy will inaugurate the single-window system for building and layout plan approvals in urban areas on December 15, Minister for Urban Development and Housing U T Khader said on Sunday.

Khader told reporters at the Circuit House on Sunday that the single-window, a time-bound initiative, will reduce the burden on those developing commercial or residential projects.

The developers and the site owners can get approval online for the building and layout plan and change of land use.

NoC

“In the past, the developers had to visit each department to get No objection Certificates (NoC). With the online initiative, people just need to upload applications and the authorities will get the NoC from the departments concerned. The plans will be approved of and building licence will be issued within a month if the documents are in order,” he said and added that the respective departments will be held responsible for any kind of delay.

Applicants will get information on the status of their application through SMS.

All processes during the clearance, including spot inspection, will be done digitally, Khader said and added that the scheme will be introduced on a pilot basis in four to five cities.

The minister said that a toll free number will be introduced shortly for the convenience of people in coastal districts over sand supply.

“On dialling the number, arrangements will be made by the district administration to supply sand. A meeting will also be convened to fix a rate for the sand. The MCC will float tenders to mine the sand in Thumbe vented dam,” he added.

No special grant

Khader asked MP Prathap Simha if the Centre had released any special grant to Kodagu, which had witnessed huge devastation due to floods and landslides.

Simha had criticised the state government in Kodagu on December 7 regarding relief for flood victims.

Khader said, “The Centre had released Rs 540 crore under National Calamity Relief Fund for eight districts affected by natural calamities in the state. The fund cannot be used to build houses, so the state government is bearing the expenses.”

The minister challenged, “If Prathap Simha has any concern for Kodagu, he should raise the issue in the Parliament and get the Centre to release grants for the state.”