IEP Chandigarh, December 28
Making optimum use of the internet to provide hassle-free services to people at their doorsteps, Punjab Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Department has adopted a new mantra to bring far more efficiently while ensuring time-bound services to the people in a transparent manner.
The creation of a robust online system is among the various people-centric initiatives taken by the Housing & Urban Development Minister Mr. Aman Arora in 2022, to live up to the promise made by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann to provide an honest and transparent model of governance.
The single portal designed by the H&UD offers numerous services including regularization of plots and buildings, Change of ownership, and procuring NOCs, etc at a click, that too in a mandated timeline. Earlier, an applicant had to make numerous rounds to the government offices to get these basic services done.
Giving a major reprieve to the people who bought properties in unauthorized colonies, the H&UD department has introduced a facility for online submission and processing of applications on the regularization portal www.punjabregularization.in for obtaining NOC. Further, the timeline for issuance of NoCs has also been reduced to 15 working days from the earlier stipulated period of 21 days to ensure quick and timely disposal of applications.
Pertinently, this facility of regularization could be availed only by those allottees/residents whose properties fall under the unauthorized colonies developed before March 19, 2018.
Earlier, the applications were processed offline so the applicants had to wait a long time for getting issued the NOC. Now, the portal extends a large number of facilities such as online submission of applications, online payment, status checking of applications, and online disposal of the same. This one single portal is designed for the regularization of plots and buildings falling within MC and outside the MC area for quick disposal of applications.
To fix accountability in the functioning and ensure all the services in time bound manner, In first, the H&UD department has also made digitally signed permissions accessible to the owners of their properties, thereby bringing in 100 percent transparency in the functioning of the department, which will further create a mechanism that people won’t need to file RTI to access these permissions. “I have been personally monitoring the status of online services and delay in disposal of any application will not be tolerated,” reiterated Mr. Aman Arora.
All the applications regarding these 25 services are being processed online; besides providing services i.e. real-time tracking of applications, issuance of digitally signed certificates and intimation through SMS alert.
The following services can be availed online; Change of ownership, change of ownership (death case unregistered will), change of ownership (death case all legal heirs), change of ownership (death case registered will), issuance of CD, issuance of CD for extended area, issue of no due certificate (NoC), issue of re-allotment letter, permission for sale/gift/transfer, permission to mortgage, permitting professional consultancy services, transfer of letter of intent (LoI), transfer permission (before CD), demarcation of plot, issue of completion certificate/ occupation certificate, issue of completion certificate/ occupation certificate- private property, issue of DPC – Private Properties, issue of DPC certificate, certificate of Registration as Estate Agent, certificate of registration as a promoter, registration of Architect, issuance of temporary sewerage connection (for construction purpose), regularization of water connection, sanction of sewerage connection and sanction of water supply.
ZERO-TOLERANCE TOWARDS DELAY IN SERVICE DELIVERY
Adopting zero-tolerance towards delay in service delivery to the people of the state, the H&UD department has issued show-cause notices to 42 officials, besides charge-sheeting three officials— two Senior Assistants and an Assistant Estate Officer, for dereliction of duty. The department has put in place an online mechanism in which applications and files received by the Department are being monitored by senior officials and by the Minister Mr. Aman Arora himself. This strict action was taken after Mr. Aman Arora found out that the maximum pendency was at the level of the 45 officials across the department, who were issued show-cause notices, while three have been charge-sheeted for not responding to the show-cause notices and for dereliction of duty.