PANAJI: To offer transparency and provide online services to entrepreneurs, Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) is set to shift most of its services, right from plot application to construction approvals, to an online platform.
The new e-governance system, built on an open-source platform called DIGIT, promises to reduce the number of documents and the time frame for all approvals by over 60%. The new system is likely to be launched on Sep 5.
“GIDC has partnered with e-Gov Foundation to develop an industry variant of DIGIT called OPEN, to digitise the functioning and services of the corporation,” said a senior GIDC official.
The OPEN software was originally designed for urban local bodies to track house tax payments, civic approvals, and building plan approvals. With GIDC adopting the OPEN platform, industrial units can remotely pay land premiums, lease rent, sub-lease fees, and other charges aside from tracking various applications.
“The online platform will include the Building Plan Approval System, which will allow industrial units to obtain technical clearance and construction licence without visiting the GIDC office,” the official said.
“Architects and urban planners can register on the website and upload the building plans and the system will generate a report that will tell the architect whether the plan accords with rules or if changes are required. All this will be done without human intervention.”
The time frame to obtain technical clearance and construction permits has been reduced from 60 days to 15, with the number of documents reduced from 18 to just three. The time required for the completion order and occupancy certificate has been reduced by half from 60 days. Cumulatively, the new online system reduces the number of documents from 64 to 24.
GIDC’s managing director will have access to a dashboard that will also red-flag delays at each approval level. Necessary action can be taken if officials find that approvals are getting stuck at one level.
“Henceforth, industries will be able to upload their building plans on the online portal, select the building plan that has been approved, get the approvals, and make payments through that system,” the official said. “The system also has a feature for officials to add file notings online.”
