Punjab housing dept introduces SMS facility

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab housing and urban development department has launched a slew of SMS services to provide information to applicants and allottees to protect consumer rights in real estate sector. The SMS facility proposes to cover all services provided in the Right to Service Act, 2011.

The service provides for informing the consumers/allottees about their payments, including instalments seven days prior to the due date, payment alerts on the due date, acknowledging the payment, reminder if payment not received etc, acknowledgement of document submitted at a single-window counter, information about documents dispatched to allottees and communicating result of the draw of lots and property number, according to a department spokesperson.

The status of applications will be available through regular updates sent by the department. Already, 5,85,470 SMSes passing on information have been sent to the allottees so that they do not visit offices of the department time and again, said the spokesperson.