New online system for local authorities

Ministerial Consultative Committee on Urban Development and Housing in session

Steps had been taken to introduce a new online system for local authorities to approve construction plans, N. P .K Ranaweera, Director General of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) said in Parliament recently at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Urban Development and Housing.

The Director General said that the system had already been initiated as a pilot project at the Kotte Municipal Council and Gampaha and Kalutara Pradeshiya Sabhas.

The meeting was chaired by Indika Anuruddha, State Minister of Rural Housing and Construction & Building Material Industries and Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, State Minister of Urban Development, Coast Conservation, Waste Disposal and Community Cleanliness.

Director General of UDA said that the system would be introduced to all local authorities in the future. This will be done after discussing with the heads of the relevant local authorities and considering their specific needs.

Director General of the UDA said that the online application system would be introduced in collaboration with 17 institutions such as the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and the Coast Conservation Department (CCD), thus that the applicant will not be inconvenienced when implementing the plans received by the UDA. Tenders had been already called to find an investor for this project and it will be launched as a pilot project from next August, UDA officials said.

The committee said that the same format should be used for all local authorities. Currently there were different planning application forms used by local authorities for approving plans.

State Minister Anuruddha said that under the supervision of the President and the Prime Minister, the construction of 20 walking paths and rural and urban houses were being carried out expeditiously this year.

MPs Chandima Weerakkody, Mujibur Rahman, Jagath Kumara, Sudath Manjula, Yadamini Gunawardena, Nasir Ahmed, Upul Mahendra Rajapaksa and government officials were also present at the meeting.