HYDERABAD: For several months, people living in the newly-formed Manikonda municipality have been facing a tough time getting building permissions from the town planning wing.

Recently, the State government had cut down the maximum time urban local body polls could accord building permissions from 30 days to 21 days. It also fixed separate deadlines for various works. Staff members too can be penalised as per the new guidelines.

The municipality was formed by the merger of gram panchayats within the Outer Ring Road (ORR), in order to improve administration and ensure growth in a region that has developed at a rapid pace since the IT boom in Hyderabad.

It comprises of areas such as Neknampur and Puppalaguda. Officials sources said there are no officials in the town planning wing.

Currently, the responsibility to approve building layouts has been given to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Administration (GHMC) West Zone’s city planner as an additional charge. Manikonda Municipal Commissioner Shankar admitted that several permission applications are currently pending. “Appointments have been delayed by the general elections,” he said.

Shankar said that the administration still does not have access to digital keys that allows officials to process online applications. This is also a reason for the delay in giving building permissions.

“Once the Town and Country Planning Authority gives us the access, pending applications will be cleared,” Shankar said.