Now, get construction nod near monuments in six working days

New Delhi: With a view to improve ’ease of doing business,’ National Monuments Authority (NMA) on Tuesday launched a portal that would help applicants get no-objection certificates within six working days for construction-related works near the 3,686 protected monuments in the country.

The current time limit is 90 days. The applicant can track the progress of the application online.

“The initiative is part of the government’s commitment to provide good governance, transparency and ease of doing business.

Now people can get no-objection certificate from NMA within six working days for construction works in the periphery of 100-300 metre of protected monuments,” Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said after launching the portal.

Hundred meters around the monument is a “prohibited zone”, while areas between 100 to 300 metres is “regulated zone” for which no-objection certificate is needed for construction-related works.

With the launch of the portal called ‘NOC Online Application and Processing System (NOAPS),’ the applicant needs to apply online at the local municipality website from where the request will be forwarded to NMA for its no-objection certificate.

The NMA on its part will communicate its decision to the local body within six working days, bringing down the current time limit of 90 days.

The portal uses the technology of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for mapping-related service. A mobile app has also been developed to upload the geo-coordinates of the plot which falls within the prohibited areas of the monuments.

The service will be currently available in Delhi and Mumbai as the NMA web portal is integrated with the online portal of local bodies of NDMC, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and MCDs (South MCD, North MCD, East MCD) to facilitate single window clearance.

However, a release said, large projects involving construction of building beyond 2000 sq mt have been kept out of the purview of single window clearance System, keeping in view the possible impact on the monument or the site.