Follow online system for pandals: Bombay HC

Mumbai: The Bombay high court while appreciating the initiative of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) of starting an online application system for pandals during the ganpati and Navratri festivals wherein apart from the corporation, the police, traffic and fire department will be giving permissions through the same online application. The Court directed other municipal corporations to adopt the same system to ensure that all permissions are available on the click of one button.

A division bench of justices A. S. Oka and Navi Mumbai while hearing various pleas against the illegal pandals being set up during festive occasions which causes obstruction to traffic and inconveniences the public was informed by the NMMC through an affidavit about an online software it was developing to grant permissions and no objection certificates to organisers who wanted to put up pandals during festivals.

The affidavit said that the software would enable not only the applicant but also various authorities to expedite the process of issuing permissions and NOC’s.

Throwing light on the one click application, the affidavit said that it would bring together the corporation, police and fire departments and the applicants would not be required to run from one department to another but get all required permissions after filing an online application.

“After the NOC is received, the deputy engineer of the concerned ward would visit the site, take photographs and record his report about the pandal not affecting traffic movement and pedestrians within 10 days thereafter. Once the permission is granted, an e-mail and SMS would be generated from the software and sent to the concerned applicant with instructions to pay the fees online,” the affidavit said.

After perusing the affidavit, the bench directed  state to ask all civic bodies to see if the same software could be adopted in their respective areas too.