RANCHI: The Jharkhand association of licensed technical professionals, including architects and engineers, has expressed concerns over delays and rejections in the approval of building maps from the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC).
On Saturday, the association sent a letter to the municipal commissioner, pointing out that property owners must pay holding taxes on vacant land and obtain a holding number prior to applying for map approval.
Despite receiving a holding number after thorough verification of documents—such as sale deeds, mutations, updated rent receipts, and khatian—applicants still encounter significant obstacles later in the process.
Sujeet Bhagat, head of the association, stated, “Numerous building plans are rejected because the plots fall under the Chota Nagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act or other issues, with authorities requesting additional proof of changes in land status. I faced a similar situation with two building plan applications. If the holding number is granted after document verification, how can the approval for the building plan be denied on the basis of insufficient documentation?”
The association revealed that, out of roughly 1.60 lakh individual residential and commercial holdings in the city, only 35,080 have legally approved maps from the RMC and the Ranchi Regional Development Authority (RRDA). They argue that these rejections contradict established regulations. Citing Clause 27.2(1) of the Jharkhand Building Bye-Laws, the association emphasized that the approval of a building plan signifies permission to construct and does not validate land ownership.
As the local authority does not certify property titles during this procedure, the association has urged the municipal commissioner to expedite the approval of building maps for all applicants who have been assigned a valid holding number. Bhagat noted that the association plans to meet with the municipal commissioner on Monday for a detailed discussion on the matter.
