DIMAPUR: A two-day joint session on the Nagaland Online Building Permission System (OBPS) concluded at Hotel de Oriental Grand, Kohima, on Thursday. The programme was organised by the Directorate of Municipal Affairs in collaboration with the Town and Country Planning Organisation (TCPO), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), and the National Informatics Centre (NIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
According to DIPR, director of Municipal Affairs Temjenrenla Kechu delivered the welcome address and outlined the implementation of the OBPS in Nagaland. Associate Planner, TCPO, Sudeep Roy, presented the OBPS framework, while State Informatics Officer, NIC Nagaland, I. Lanusungkum Aier, gave an overview of the system.
Technical sessions focused on the Model/State Building Bye-Laws (BBL) and implementation of OBPS across states. Officials from the Directorate of Municipal Affairs, Urban Development Department, NIC and TCPO deliberated on synchronising the Draft National Building Bye-Laws, 2026 with the proposed e-Development Control Regulations (e-DCR) for Nagaland.
Participants were taken through the OBPS workflow, including user interface, process flow, authorisation, digital certificate integration and online signing procedures. Officials from various departments discussed service integration and requirements for issuing online building permits.
The sessions also covered building plan approval drawing standards, layer conventions, standardised colour coding, occupancy classifications and digital drawing formats. On the second day, participants attended live demonstrations and hands-on sessions on CAD layer conventions, feature classification and practical application of OBPS requirements under the guidance of experts from NIC Meghalaya and TCPO.
Department website launched: Advisor for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, Zhaleo Rio, IAS (Retd.), launched the official website of the Municipal Affairs Department and inaugurated the programme.
The department stated that the website would enhance transparency, improve access to information and strengthen coordination between the department, urban local bodies (ULBs) and the public. It will provide information on the state’s 39 ULBs, their structure, activities, contact details, rules, regulations and advisories. It will also enable ULBs to publish audited accounts online, a mandatory requirement for availing Central and State Finance Commission grants.
Addressing the programme, Zhaleo Rio said developmental activities must be regulated through proper building bye-laws to ensure adequate air, light and drainage. He informed that the Nagaland Building Bye-Laws, 2026 were in the final stage and stressed the need for strict enforcement.
Sudeep Roy highlighted the advancement of the building permit system in the country and MoHUA’s support to northeastern states in establishing the NE-OBPS.
The concluding sessions focused on testing of drawing lists, rule-engine validation, launch preparedness and the implementation roadmap. The workshop ended with recommendations and discussions on the next phase of preparedness.
