Mysuru residents face long wait for building plan approvals

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The delays have affected several proposed construction projects in the MCC limits. | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram

People seeking approval for residential and commercial building plans from the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) are facing delays following the implementation of the United Land Management System (ULMS), a digital platform introduced by the State government to incorporate various land-related services under a single system.

The platform was launched with the objective of simplifying procedures and reducing the need for citizens to visit multiple government offices. However, applicants and consulting engineers in Mysuru city claim that the transition has resulted in prolonged approval timelines, causing inconvenience and uncertainty for those planning to construct houses, apartments and commercial buildings.

According to stakeholders, building plan approvals that were previously processed relatively quickly are now taking longer due to the new approval system and multiple layers of scrutiny incorporated into the ULMS framework. The delays have affected several proposed construction projects in the MCC limits.

Sources in the MCC acknowledged that the system is being streamlined and that technical issues and procedural issues are being examined for corrective action. They maintained that efforts are under way to improve the functioning of the portal and ensure smoother processing of applications.

Consulting engineers, however, argued that the approval process has become more clumsy under ULMS. They point out that the platform requires applications to move through a longer chain of officials before receiving final clearance.

The ULMS has replaced Nirman-2.0, the online building plan approval system that had been in operation for more than four years. Under Nirman-2.0, building plans for sites measuring up to 225 sq. m. were approved at the respective zonal offices of the MCC. Larger projects were processed at the MCC headquarters by the Joint Director of Town Planning and