Nagaland has finalised the roadmap for the state-wide rollout of the Online Building Permission System (OBPS) following a two-day workshop in Kohima.
DIMAPUR — A two-day joint session on the Nagaland Online Building Permission System (OBPS) concluded in Kohima on Friday, with officials finalising the roadmap for the state-wide rollout of the digital building approval system.
Advisor for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Zhaleo Rio attended the concluding programme, where he launched the official website of the Directorate of Municipal Affairs and inaugurated the final session of the workshop.
According to the department, the website marks a significant step towards improving municipal governance by enhancing transparency, facilitating access to information and strengthening coordination between the department, urban local bodies (ULBs) and the public.
The portal will provide information on all 39 ULBs, including their organisational structure, activities and contact details, besides hosting important rules, regulations and advisories.
It will also enable ULBs to publish audited accounts online, a mandatory requirement for accessing central and state finance commission grants.
Addressing the gathering, Zhaleo said comprehensive building bye-laws are essential for regulating urban development and ensuring adequate ventilation, natural light and drainage.
He informed that the Nagaland Building Bye-Laws 2026 are in the final stages of preparation and stressed the need for their strict enforcement.
The workshop, held at Hotel de Oriental Grand, was organised by the Directorate of Municipal Affairs in collaboration with the Town and Country Planning Organisation (TCPO), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), and the National Informatics Centre (NIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, according to a DIPR report.
Director of Municipal Affairs Temjenrenla Kechu delivered the welcome address and outlined the state's implementation plan for the OBPS. Associate Planner, TCPO, Sudeep Roy presented the features and objectives of the system, while State Informatics Officer, NIC Nagaland, I Lanusungkum Aier, gave an overview of the digital platform.
Technical sessions focused on the Model Building Bye-Laws, state building bye-laws and the mandate for implementing the OBPS across the country.
Officials from the Directorate of Municipal Affairs, the Urban Development department, NIC and TCPO discussed synchronising the Draft National Building Bye-Laws 2026 with Nagaland's proposed electronic Development Control Regulations (e-DCR).
Participants were briefed on the OBPS workflow, including the user interface, process flow, authorisation mechanisms, digital certificate integration and online signing procedures.
Representatives from various line departments also discussed departmental responsibilities, service integration and requirements for issuing online building permits through the platform.
The sessions further covered Building Plan Approval (BPA) drawing standards, CAD layer conventions, standardised colour coding, occupancy classifications and digital drawing formats.
On Friday, participants attended live demonstrations on CAD layer conventions, feature classification and occupancy standards, followed by hands-on training on preparing digital drawings under the guidance of experts from NIC Meghalaya and TCPO.
Roy highlighted the evolution of India's building permit system and outlined the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' support for northeastern states in adopting advanced digital building approval systems under the Northeast OBPS initiative.
The concluding sessions focused on system testing, rule-engine validation, rollout schedules and launch preparedness.
Officials also held joint consultations to resolve outstanding issues and finalise the implementation roadmap.
The workshop concluded with a compilation of recommendations and discussions on the next phase of preparations for the state-wide implementation of the Online Building Permission System.