ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Urban Affairs Minister Balo Raja on Wednesday launched the online building permission system (OBPS), a fully digital platform designed to streamline the issuance of building construction permits across the state.
Speaking at the launch event, the minister said the new system will improve efficiency, transparency, and accessibility, and marks a shift to online-only permit issuance for all construction, be it public, private, government, or business.
“OBPS aligns with the state government’s ongoing efforts to enhance public service delivery under the Ease of Doing Business framework,” Raja said.
He emphasised the importance of wide publicity to ensure that the public is aware of the system’s benefits as well as the consequences of non-compliance.
To support this transition, the Directorate of Town Planning will migrate its website from a static to a dynamic platform. The upgraded website will be interactive, more user-friendly, and capable of handling large volumes of data and transactions, including online payments.
Chief Secretary Manish Kumar Gupta hailed the launch as a historic milestone for the state.
“OBPS will deregulate and simplify the building permit process, significantly reducing approval times,” he said.
Gupta also noted the flexibility of the portal, which allows easy upgrades and customisations to meet departmental and user needs. He added that, in time, OBPS will be handed over to urban local bodies (ULBs) for implementation, or to deputy commissioner-led local planning authorities in districts where ULBs have not yet been formed.
Urban Affairs Secretary Nyali Ete outlined the operational aspects of OBPS.
He explained that all applications for building permits must now be submitted online, and architects and other professionals are required to register on the portal. The system will be managed by the local planning authority in each district, chaired by the deputy commissioner and supported by the town planner as member secretary.
OBPS is a joint initiative of the Town and Country Planning Organisation (TCPO) under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, and the state Directorate of Town Planning and the state Urban Affairs Department.
Technical support is provided by NIC Shillong, while the eDCR software has been developed by E-Government Foundation, Bengaluru.
The customisation of the Arunachal Pradesh Building Bye Laws (APBBL) 2019 and system flowchart were also handled by NIC Shillong. The entire cost of developing the eDCR software was borne by the central ministry under the AMRUT mission as part of the prescribed urban reforms for EoDB.
