Gurugram DTCP to verify properties through new online method

An occupancy certificate is issued to a plot owner if the constructed building is in suitable condition for occupancy

Gurugram: The department of town and country planning has issued directions that an online system at the headquarters in Chandigarh will pick up occupation certificates (OCs) issued to property owners by private architects randomly, and these will be recommended for further verification of properties.

The objective was to minimise human intervention in the selection of OCs and to end any biases that the officials may have, DTCP staff said. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

DTCP officials said that the objective was to minimise human intervention in the selection of OCs and to end any biases that the officials may have.

An occupancy certificate is issued to a plot owner if the constructed building is in suitable condition for occupancy, and if the owner has followed all the town planning rules stipulated by the department.

According to DTCP officials, the online system will identify 10 percent of the properties where OCs are issued, and these will then be verified on the ground. The on-ground verifications will be carried out to ensure there are no violations in the buildings for which occupation certificates have been issued to owners.

Gurugram district town planner, Rajesh Kaushik, said that under the online system, the details of the property owners, OC files would be uploaded in the system, and the software installed at headquarters will randomly select ten percent of these files and this information will be shared with district town planning officials through the portal.

“The system of verifying OCs will remain the same but the properties, which need to be inspected will now be selected by an automated system. There will be minimum human intervention in this system to ensure transparency,” he said, adding that there was no limit regarding checking only 10 percent buildings and they could inspect more if complaints were received or if the department suspected violations.

In November 2022, the department of town and country planning had delegated powers to private architects to issue occupation certificates under the self-certification rules. However, to curb misuse, the department had allowed the district town planner to randomly choose 10 percent OCs and verify these for violations. DTCP officials said that under the latest directions, this selection will now be carried out by the software system.