ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Monday decided to introduce online building plan approval system.

The system will likely become functional next month.

“The online system will enable citizens to process their residential and commercial building plans for approval from any part of the world,” says a press release issued here by CDA.

It said that a meeting regarding the online building plan approval system was held with CDA Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa in the chair. During the meeting member Technology & Digitalization Nauman Khalid gave a detailed briefing on the online system.

Citizens will not only be able to check status of their cases but also get updates online

The press release said citizens will not only be able to check the status of their cases but also get their updates online. Under the new system, the CDA says architects will also be registered on this system. Chairman CDA directed the department concerned to impart necessary trainingto CDA officers and staff before the lunch of this system.

Besides, the necessary IT equipment should be provided to all concerned for successful operation of this online system.

Mr Randhawa further said the CDA was striving hard to provide all related services to citizens at their doorstep. He said that CDA was launching a super app for the citizens of Islamabad through which more than 150 services can be accessed from home.

Sources said that the chairman had directed the IT department that this service should be started from first week of next month.

Last September, the CDA board had decided that CDA would provide pre-approved building plans to residents for the construction of houses. In its landmark decision, the CDA board had directed CDA to prepare a booklet within eight weeks which had approved building plans for various sizes of plots. After preparation of the booklet, the CDA will go for providing pre-approved plan of houses to citizens. However, the said decision of the board is yet to be implemented.

“If pre-approved building plans are provided to citizens that would be great relief for people, who have to visit various offices for approval of building plans,” said an official of CDA.

He said that making approval of building plan online is a good step but CDA should also implement the board decision regarding providing pre-approved building plans.

When contacted, CDA’s spokesperson Shahid Kayani said that civic agency would not only go for online approval but would also implement pre-approved building plans decision. “We will look into this issue (pre-approved building plans) you are referring to,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2024