‘Don’t harass OC, map approval applicants’

The Greater Noida authority’s chief executive officer, Ritu Maheshwari, warned officials that they would face disciplinary action if there is any delay in processing files pertaining to building map approvals or occupancy certificates (OC), or if applicants for the same are harassed.

The directions were given during a review meeting of the urban town planning department staff at the sector VI main administrative office on Thursday evening. “If the planning department harasses an applicant, action will be taken. We want map approvals and occupancy certificates to be issued online without any applicant being called to the authority’s office,” said Maheshwari. She added that staff should explain the entire procedure to applicants and tell them about all documents that are required at the beginning of the application process, instead of calling them to the office again and again.

Shashank Shekhar, a resident of sector Tech Zone-iv, said, “We have observed that the staff of the planning department harasses the applicant deliberately and instead of processing the files online, they delay the work. As a result, the applicant has to visit the authority multiple times.”

If someone wants to build a house, then he or she has to get a building map made from a private architect, which is then submitted to the town planning department of the authority for approval.