Panaji: Flagging delays of up to six months in securing approvals for real estate projects, the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (Credai) has urged state govt to implement ease of doing business reforms in letter and spirit.Builders said approvals for water availability certificates and power supply NOCs take months, with files moving through multiple levels of the bureaucracy, sometimes reaching the minister for clearance.They said departments interpret govt instructions differently, creating administrative hurdles, particularly while obtaining Sanad certificates for converting agricultural land to non-agricultural use.“Getting a conversion sanad is such a pain, as developers have to visit three to four different departments for NOCs and follow up on each one of them, though on paper it is supposed to be an online process. Nothing happens online and you have to physically follow up to get it done,” said Avez Mohidin, CEO and founder of Mohidin Properties and Holdings.Mohidin, who is Credai-Goa secretary, said chief minister Pramod Sawant’s assurance that Sanad documents would be issued within 45 days remains a “far dream” for builders.Credai president and Jaibhuvan Group director Rajesh Sheth cited a case where a developer renovating an old building in Panaji was asked to obtain land conversion despite the plot being developed and located within the city.The developer had to pay a penalty based on the land’s current valuation because revenue records continued to classify it as agricultural land, Sheth said.Credai officials said water feasibility certificates have also become a major hurdle. Mohidin said applications pass through the assistant engineer, executive engineer, superintendent engineer and chief engineer before reaching the minister for approval. The file then travels back through the same hierarchy.“The entire process takes about six months. It should be simple: either the infrastructure is available or it is not available,” he said.Credai has also flagged that developers are forced to buy electricity transformers and cables despite paying infrastructure tax.Sheth, however, acknowledged some improvements through the govt’s deregulation exercise. Fire NOCs are now valid for five years, pollution control board NOCs have longer validity and some panchayats have introduced online applications, he said.
