Soon, online building plan approval in a jiffy

Hyderabad: Minister for IT and Industries D Sridhar Babu on Tuesday launched a new unified building and layout approval system, the BuildNow app. This AI-enabled application will not only significantly reduce the processing time of applications related to building and layout permissions but also has a chat support system for assisting customers. This will become functional from February 1, 2025.

At the launch programme held at the Secretariat, the Minister said that the BuildNow app, developed by IITians, will bring down the time for scrutiny to less than five minutes as against 2-30 days under the existing system of TG-bPASS. He said that even multi-storied buildings will take less than two minutes. The minister said that since 60 per cent of the State’s population is living in urban areas, the government was giving priority to urban development and creating a business-friendly environment.

Describing it as a revolutionary step towards modern, citizen-centric governance, he said that Telangana was the first State in the country to introduce the fastest drawing scrutiny system. “The new system will revolutionise approvals, reducing drawing auto-scrutiny processing times from weeks to minutes, setting a benchmark for efficiency,” he said.

The Minister explained that the new app has a unified, single-window interface that eliminates citizens' need to visit multiple departments and switch between portals. “The immersive 3D visualisation technology allows citizens to experience their buildings before construction,” he explained.

Sridhar Babu highlighted that AI-powered assistants provide instant, accurate guidance on building regulations. He said that under the TG bPASS system, citizens have to navigate multiple platforms for application submission, status tracking, fee payments, and more, resulting in confusion and delays, whereas BuildNow offers a single unified portal that encompasses both the drawing scrutiny and the application process.

Under the existing system, building plans are reviewed in static, traditional formats, leaving room for misinterpretation. Additionally, citizens have no way to visualise projects and verify builders' approved plans. “By leveraging Augmented Reality (AR) technology, the new system provides interactive and immersive visualisations. The system is also powered by blockchain technology that ensures verifiable tracking of every application,” he added.