LDA cuts red tape, to issue NOCs for building map approval on WhatsApp

This digital system will spare residents the inconvenience of visiting multiple departments and waiting months for approvals

The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) will now send No Objection Certificates (NOCs) directly to applicants on WhatsApp for building map approvals.

Until now, residents applying for residential or commercial building maps had to obtain several NOCs as well as additional approvals from the tehsil and Jalkal departments. (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

This digital system will spare residents the inconvenience of visiting multiple departments and waiting months for approvals, an LDA press release stated on Thursday. It is being implemented on the initiative of LDA vice-chairman Prathamesh Kumar.

Until now, residents applying for residential or commercial building maps had to obtain several NOCs, including those for Nazul, improvement trust, sealing, acquisition, and land use from the authority itself, as well as additional approvals from the tehsil and Jalkal departments.

The LDA only issued a letter asking applicants to secure the required NOCs themselves. The process often forced people to make repeated visits to different departments, stretching the approval timeline to three or four months, the press release said.

Under the new system, the LDA has fully digitised the process through Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Once a map application is submitted, the authority will initiate the NOC issuance process through ERP. After the department concerned approves the NOC digitally, it will automatically be delivered to the applicant’s registered WhatsApp number. Officials said this step will not only save time but also reduce unnecessary human interaction, bringing transparency and efficiency into the system.

Kumar emphasised that along with the LDA’s own NOCs, the authority will now track approvals from the tehsil and Jalkal departments as well. Applicants will no longer need to personally approach these departments, as their NOCs will also be sent online through the same system. This, he said, will cut red tape and relieve people from the long-standing problem of departmental delays.

The LDA has also simplified the process for checking land use details. Buyers no longer need to physically visit the authority’s office to confirm the land use status of a property. Instead, they can log onto ldalucknow.in, register under the Citizen Service portal, and upload ownership documents, Khasra details, and the property’s location. The system will then provide the required land use information digitally.

Officials said the initiative is expected to reduce approval timelines drastically, ensuring that residents can start construction without unnecessary delays.