Our Correspondent
Imphal, July 20 (EMN): A one-day regional workshop on Online Building Permission System (OBPS) in the North Eastern States was held here on Saturday. The urban planning officials of NE states participated in the workshop.
The workshop was organised by the Ministry of housing and Urban Affairs, Town Planning Department, Government of Manipur in association with Town and Country Planning Organisation and National Institute of Urban Affairs, New Delhi.
Municipal Administration Housing and Urban Development (MAHUD) Minister Th Shyamkumar, Additional Secretary Shiv Das Meena of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Director Gurjeet Singh Dhillion Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Commissioner M Joy Singh (MAHUD), Director Th Harikumar Singh of MAHUD attended the workshop.
Under Secretary Rajeev Kumar Das of MoHUA, officials of Town and Country Planning, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), National Institute of Urban Affairs, New Delhi, E-Gov Foundation Bangaluru, delegates from seven North Eastern states, officers from MAHUD, Town Planning, IMC PDA, MUDA were present during the programme.
Speaking on the occasion, MAHUD Minister Shyamkumar said that the withdrawal of 10% lump sum scheme has hit the urban developmental projects in the resource less state of Manipur. He said many urban sector projects remain unfulfilled as the state has no alternative financial source.
The workshop is a very important milestone in the implementation and achievement of reforms agenda under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), a flagship mission of the Centre. Stating that introduction of OBPS is one of the important reforms under the mission, he said the objective is targeted to be achieved in the current financial year.
The minister further said that the preceding four years of urban transformation has witnessed giant strides by the flagship mission and the program of MoHUA.
The ranking of the country improved substantially to 52 in 2019 from 181 in 2018 in the construction permit indicator under the Ease of Doing Business Report, 2019, he added.
State Chief Town Planner Y Narmada Devi who is the State Director for AMRUT and PMAY (U) said that 11 states in the country, including Tripura in Northeast, have implemented the OBPS in all the towns.
She said the Central Government is aiming to implement the OBPS by September, 2019 and is targeted to be achieved in all the states by December this year. Anticipating the expenditure to be incurred which is expected to exceed above INR 1 crore and taking into consideration the financial position of the North Eastern States, the Central Government in a workshop held in Agartala in December 2018, resolved to provide the software expenses free of cost to the eight North Eastern States, she said.
