At least 4,670-odd applications for building approval are pending with the Nilgiris district building approval committee.While the committee headed by the district collector had received 7154 applications from 2021 to 2023, only 1,727 of them were sanctioned till date.
While another 792 applications were cleared by the forest, agri-engineering and geo-tech departments, the district committee is yet to accord its approval to them.A source said at least 1,289 applications were pending with one or another building approval agencies for the past two and half years. “The district committee had convened the approval meeting only once in the past six months when no approval was granted.”
A distressed applicant said it was stressful to wait for a building approval for years together. “We have to run from pillar to post to check the status of our application. My application for a building licence has been pending with the district committee for the past two and half years. This is despite other departments clearing the same.”
Another applicant said the district committee cannot keep applications pending after receiving no objection certificate from the other departments concerned. “We are facing technical issues with applying on the Tamil Nadu Single Window Portal for building approval as well. Its software has to be rectified.”
The Nilgiris Civil Engineers’ Association said the district building approval committee had held only a few meetings in the past two years. “In 2023, only 122 of the 1969 applications received were approved.”
When contacted, Yegaraj, Ooty municipal commissioner, said they had already approached their higher officials in Chennai to modify the software of the single window system portal. “Upon approval, the offline applications pending with the district committee will be uploaded online for issuance of building licence.”
Attempts to reach the Nilgiris collector M Aruna for a comment went in vain.