Don’t delay NOCs for realty projects, BMC tells officials

The Development Plan (DP) department of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has pulled up its officials over delays in uploading remarks or issuing no-objection

The Development Plan (DP) department of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has pulled up its officials over delays in uploading remarks or issuing no-objection certificates (NOCs) for real estate projects in the city.

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The civic body has asked its officials to strictly follow the 24-hour deadline for giving remarks or NOC for procuring commencement certificates (CC) of the proposed construction site once an inspection is concluded, failing which action would be taken against them. BMC has also warned third-party consultants involved in assisting the civic body for the inspection to ensure that they give their remarks on the site inspection in 24 hours.

According to a BMC official, the process has been made online and is very transparent, but officials often do not give their comments or NOC within the stipulated time period or do not inspect the site on the system-generated dates, further delaying the process. A circular in this context was issued on December 30, 2019, asking the staff and third-party consultants to strictly adhere to the set deadline.

The circular further stated, “All concerned are instructed to observe the date of joint site inspection scrupulously and inspect the site only on system- generated date. Non-observance of this will be viewed seriously and action deems fit will be initiated against the defaulters including the third-party consultants.”

Prior to 2015, when the online system was introduced, developers used to complain of delays in obtaining initial permissions to carry out construction work owing to delay in issuance of these remarks from BMC departments. However, later it was made mandatory for BMC officials to give NOCs or remarks within 24 hours after the inspection for initial construction. Arqam Shaikh, an architect, said, “The process is simple considering it is online, but there are times when all officials concerned are not available for inspection on the system-generated date or they do not upload comments or NOC within 24 hours, and this delays the process of getting CC. The BMC circular is a welcome step towards speedy approvals.”