· TCP to prepare proposal regarding inspection of building drainage system and structural building design
With a view of planned and regulated development in the state, the present state government is taking concrete steps by making necessary amendments in the rules under Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning. Besides, in order to strengthen the Town and Country Planning Department, modern technology is being incorporated in its day to day working.
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu says that the present state government is committed to the regulated development of the planning areas of the state and providing various facilities to the people. Working with the spirit of Vyavstha Parivartan, the state government has taken many important decisions in this regard.
The web portal of the Town and Country Planning Department is being developed with auto DCR (Development Control Regulations) capability. This will enable computerized scanning of maps submitted for planning permission and to generate a one-time report. Applicants will also be able to know objectively the shortcomings related to Development Control Regulation (DCR) which needs to be rectified by them. A target has been set to complete the work of developing this web portal soon. This also includes standard operating procedures for registered private professionals (RPP) to grant development permission for residential use on land plots up to 500 square meters.
In order to minimize the physical touch and footfall of applicants in all field offices, the notified standard operating procedure for RPP will be implemented soon after inclusion in the online portal of the department. This will be valid for the grant of development permission upto 500 square meters of plot area for residential use only in all notified Planning/Special Areas and Urban Local Bodies.
To ensure the planned and regulated growth in the vicinity of the four lanes, the state government has constituted a Four Lane Planning Area. It includes Parwanoo-Shimla National Highway, Kiratpur-Manali, Shimla-Mataur and Pathankot-Mandi National Highway. Apart from this, the government has enforced the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1977 in the North Portal of the Atal Tunnel. This will curb likely un-authorized and unplanned development activities due to the tunnel being in operation.
The state government has also made a provision for residential use of attics in order to provide relief to the people living in urban areas. This amendment will effectively augment the available space within buildings, offering substantial benefits to the general public who are constrained from adding extra stories due to regulatory restrictions and orders.
As per the directions of the Chief Minister, the department is preparing a proposal for the inspection of building drainage systems and structural building design. This will help to prevent the recurrence of significant damage, the state has witnessed recently during unprecedented rainfall in this monsoon.
