New application to monitor construction of buildings and issue occupancy certificates online from September 1

MCC introduces BLMS app to monitor building construction, issue occupancy certificates online, enhancing transparency and efficiency.

Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) will introduce a new Building License Management System (BLMS) application from September 1 to monitor the construction of buildings and to issue occupancy certificates online.

Launching the new BLMS app on Monday, August 26, Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur said the new application will help the MCC monitor building construction at stages of excavation, plinth, slab, and completion. “If there are any deviations from the approved building plan, it will be intimated at the initial stages, which will help the builder to rectify the deviation,” Mr. Kannur said.

The MCC Commissioner C.L. Anand said the MCC is the first civic body in the State to develop an app for monitoring constructions and issuing completion certificates. The new app has been developed following guidelines laid down by the Karnataka High Court to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike in its January 19 order vide writ petition No. 11261/2023.

Mr. Anand said in most of the 12,000-odd cases of building norms violations in Mangaluru, it is noticed that the building owner is unaware of the building norms violation and they continue to pay double tax for the violation. “This app helps building owner build his/her building as per the approved plan and eases the process of issuing occupancy certificate,” he said. It will also help to prevent unauthorised construction, he added.

On average, the MCC issues 1,000 occupancy certificates every year. Once a building licence is granted through Nirman app, the building owner/applicant gets enrolled in the BLMS app. The applicant has to upload pictures of each of the four stages of construction, which will lead to site visits by junior engineers or other MCC officials, who will verify and post photos and remarks. On completion, the applicant can easily apply for the grant of occupancy certificate. Final approval will be based on inspection photos and remarks, with e-signature authorisation by the MCC Commissioner. Applicants can digitally download the building occupancy certificate. The app will help enhance transparency and minimises the need for in-person visits to MCC offices for the purpose, Mr. Anand said.