Web portal for allowing planning permission in Himachal Pradesh for up to 500 sq mt plot

Himachal Pradesh Government decided to launch a web portal for allowing planning permission under TCP in the state for up to 500 square meter plots for residential houses.

A press release issued here today by the spokesperson of Urban Development and TCP said that in view of planned and regulated development in the state, the government is taking concrete steps by making necessary amendments to the rules under Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning.

He said that an auto-enabled Web portal of the TCP Department is being developed to ease the planning permission process besides, this to strengthen the Town and Country Planning Department, modern technology is being incorporated into its day-to-day working.

The spokesperson said that a direction has been issued by Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to ensure to regulation development of the planning areas of the state and provide various facilities to the people.

The web portal of the Town and Country Planning Department is being developed with auto DCR (Development Control Regulations) capability. 

This will enable computerized scanning of maps submitted for planning permission and to generate a one-time report. 

Applicants would also be able to know objectively the shortcomings related to Development Control Regulation (DCR) which needs to be rectified by them.

 A target has been set to complete the work of developing this web portal soon. This also includes standard operating procedures for registered private professionals (RPP) to grant development permission for residential use on land plots up to 500 square meters.

In order to minimize the physical touch and footfall of applicants in all field offices, the notified standard operating procedure for RPP will be implemented soon after inclusion in the online portal of the department. 

This will be valid for the grant of development permission up to 500 square meters of plot area for residential use only in all notified Planning or Special Areas and Urban Local Bodies.

To ensure the planned and regulated growth in the vicinity of the four lanes, the state government has constituted a Four Lane Planning Area. It includes the Parwanoo-Shimla National Highway, Kiratpur-Manali, Shimla-Mataur, and Pathankot-Mandi National Highway. 

Apart from this, the government has enforced the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1977 in the North Portal of the Atal Tunnel.

 This will curb likely unauthorized and unplanned development activities due to the tunnel being in operation.

The state government has also made a provision for residential use of attics in order to provide relief to the people living in urban areas. 

This amendment will effectively augment the available space within buildings, offering substantial benefits to the general public who are constrained from adding extra stories due to regulatory restrictions and orders.

As per the directions of the Chief Minister, the department is preparing a proposal for the inspection of building drainage systems and structural building design. 

This would help to prevent the recurrence of significant damage, the state has witnessed recently during unprecedented rainfall in this monsoon.