To provide more citizen-friendly services and simplify the process of obtaining permissions for entrepreneurs and others, the office of Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration (CDMA) has notified specific time frames ranging from 30 days to just 48 hours to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across Telangana akin to a Citizen’s Charter.
CDMA, which has just about finished digitising the entire land registry in the 72 municipalities like property tax details, ownership, property type and so on containing details of properties and vacant lands, has made it mandatory to provide online services under the ‘ease of doing business’ policy of the Government.
“Precise time lines have been defined for each clearance, and if they are not issued within the time limit, penalties will be imposed on the officers causing delay,” said CDMA T.K. Sreedevi during a recent interaction.
Accordingly, about a month’s time is being given for the labour department for registration of principal employers establishment and contractors licences. A fortnight’s time is being given for construction or building labour registration.
The Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) has also been given 30 days to complete permission process for change in land use whereas it is 14 days for providing water connection by different agencies, including the Panchayat Raj, Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, Rural Water Supply and others.
Water connection permissions can also be obtained through the industries department in the TS-iPASS portal. For road cuttings it is seven days so also for inspections to be taken up for buildings during construction stage. Final completion and occupancy certificate should be given in eight days.
For obtaining the trade licence, mutation of land or properties for change in ownership as well as for assessment of property tax on land or buildings plus for advertisement licences, it will be 15 days. All these services are available online on the CDMA website or the respective municipalities’ websites for tracking applications, digital payments and getting final approvals.
Paper work required for applying for permissions and taking connections too has been reduced by limiting the documents required and also by incorporating common application formats to a large extent.
Dr. Sreedevi had made it clear that while the current online usage has been poor from the citizens’ side, an effort is being made to popularise the digital delivery among the public and dispense with the manual system of issuing approvals for speedier and transparent processes.