Surveyors approves plans for 3 Cottahs in Kolkata

Mayor Firhad Hakim directed the buildings department officials of the civic body in the boroughs to establish communication with architects or licensed building surveyors (LBS) for the approval of building plans for lands not exceeding three cottahs on a suo moto basis. According to a recent regulation, citizens owning a small piece of land, measuring up to 3 cottahs, now have the option to engage an architect or an LBS and apply for building sanction online. This allows them to bypass unnecessary delays in obtaining a construction permit from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. To benefit from this provision, citizens are required to apply online and obtain approval for their plans within 15 days, provided that the documents they submit comply with civic building rules. Mayor Firhad Hakim, on Saturday, urged officials to promptly address the issue and expedite the process to provide residents with relief from unwarranted hassles. The Mayor issued these instructions following a call he received during the 'Talk to Mayor' session from a resident in Behala. The Behala resident expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of action in approving the building plan he had applied for on a small plot. In response, Hakim instructed the director-general (buildings) to issue an order to the executive engineers in the borough. The directive aimed to ensure that they train the LBS registered with the KMC buildings department and assist citizens in taking advantage of the new building rules.