Chandigarh, Sept. 2 -- The Chandigarh administration has expanded its online building plan approval system to provide comprehensive digital coverage for residential, commercial and industrial plots across the city, in a major push towards ease of doing business and transparent governance. The system, which was launched in April 2022, is now operating at full scale with the inclusion of a wider range of commercial and industrial plot categories. The enhanced system is aimed at making the building plan sanctioning process faster, simpler and more accountable, while reducing delays and the need for applicants to make repeated visits to government offices. Under the new system, qualified architects registered with the Council of Architecture (CoA) have been empowered to submit building plansunder the Self-Certification Scheme. The provision covers residential, commercial and industrial plots and is expected to significantly reduce turnaround time while easing the compliance burden on both applicants and professionals. Applicants will also receive automated SMS and email alerts at different stages of the approval process. These include document scrutiny, fee calculation, technical no-objection certificates (NOCs) and final sanction. The real-time updates will allow applicants to track the progress of their applications without having to depend on manual follow-ups. The administration has also introduced a dedicated digital monitoring dashboard for senior officials and departmental heads. It provides real-time visibility into pending applications at different stages, allowing authorities to identify bottlenecks and monitor whether prescribed timelines are being followed. Deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said the initiative would make building plan approvals "faster, simpler and more transparent". He said self-certification by architects, timely SMS and email updates and the real-time monitoring dashboard would help reduce delays, keep applicants informed and ensure compliance with citizen charter timelines. Yadav said the UT administration remains committed to using technology to provide efficient, transparent and citizen-centric services....