Building plan / OC delayed for months? Use RTI to find out why (2026 guide)

This is the most common pattern in Indian construction: a single missed NOC sits silently in the file because no one tells the applicant. The RTI is the only mechanism that compels the office to write down what is actually missing.

Most states now have online single-window portals — Maharashtra MahaOBPS, Telangana TS-bPASS, Karnataka NagraSpandhana / e-Khata, Delhi DDA Single Window, Tamil Nadu OBPS, AP DPMS, Gujarat OnlineDP. These show status but rarely the specific objection that is blocking the file.

• Portal / helpline: “Under Review”, “With Town Planning Section”, “Awaiting NOC”. No officer name, no specific objection.
• RTI: PIO (the Town Planning Officer of the corporation / DA) must reply in writing in 30 days under §7(1) — including the file noting, the dealing engineer's name, every NOC status, and any objection memo. With this, the architect can fix the file in days.

The Model Building Bye-laws 2016 issued by MoHUA explicitly bind every state to a 30-day deemed approval for residential plots under 5,000 sq m if no objection is raised. The RTI is how you prove that no objection was raised within the window — useful even for invoking deemed approval.

Building plan approval is split between:

• Within municipal corporation limits: Town Planning / Building Permission Cell of the corporation (MCGM, BBMP, GHMC, PMC, MCD, GCC).
• Within development authority area: the DA — DDA (Delhi), BDA (Bangalore), MMRDA / PMRDA (MH), GMDA (Guwahati), KMDA (Kolkata), HMDA (Hyderabad outside GHMC).
• Notified urban areas / cantonment / SEZ: the local planning authority of that notified area.

Use the property index / survey number on the state portal to confirm.

By default the PIO is the Town Planning Officer (TPO) / Asst. Director — Town Planning of the circle / zone. The FAA is the Deputy Commissioner — Town Planning or the Chief Town Planner of the corporation / DA.

The Public Information Officer
(Town Planning Officer)
[Municipal Corporation / Development Authority]
[Circle / Zone office]
[address] - [PIN]

• Municipal corporation / DA: Rs 10-25 by court-fee stamp, IPO, or cash. See state-wise RTI fee calculator.
• BPL applicants: fee waived (§7(5)).

[Your full name]
[Your address]
[Phone] · [Email]
[Date]

To,
The Public Information Officer
(Town Planning Officer)
[Municipal Corporation / Development Authority]
[Circle / Zone office and full address]

Subject: RTI application under §6(1), RTI Act 2005 — status of building
plan / commencement certificate / occupation certificate application
no. [reference number]

Sir/Madam,

I am the owner / authorised applicant for the property described below.
I request the following information under §6(1) of the Right to
Information Act, 2005:

Application details:
  Online portal application no.: [TS-bPASS / MahaOBPS / DDA / BBMP no.]
  Date of online application: [DD-MM-YYYY]
  Type of application: [Building Plan / CC / OC / Revised Plan]
  Plot / Survey No.: [number]
  Locality: [name]
  Plot area: [sq m / sq ft]
  Proposed built-up area / FSI used: [sq m]
  Architect's name and registration no.: [name, COA reg.]

Information sought:

1. Current status of the application, in writing.
2. Date-wise file movement from the date of submission to date —
   including each section the file passed through (scrutiny, fire NOC,
   FSI verification, environmental, heritage, airport / coastal /
   high-tension line clearance, Town Planning Committee).
3. The name and designation of the **dealing engineer / scrutiny officer**
   and the **section officer** currently handling the file.
4. Status of every NOC required — Fire (CFO), Airport (AAI), Coastal
   (MCZMA, if applicable), Heritage Conservation Committee, Pollution
   Control Board, High-Tension Line clearance — with the date of
   referral, the date of NOC reply (or the date of objection/rejection).
5. A copy of any objection memo, deficiency note, or query raised on
   the file (whether internal or from any NOC authority).
6. The Floor Space Index (FSI) calculation and any setback /
   ground-coverage objection.
7. Schedule and minutes of the next Town Planning Committee meeting
   if the file is awaiting committee scrutiny.
8. The expected date of disposal under the Model Building Bye-laws
   2016 / [State] Right to Service Act.

Fee: I enclose [court fee stamp / IPO / cash receipt] for Rs [amount].

I declare that I am a citizen of India.

Thank you,

[Signature]
[Name]

Registered Post with AD = tracking + proof. The 30-day clock starts on the AD date. Hand-delivery + stamped duplicate is also valid under §6(1).

• Day 30: Reply due.
• Day 31 onwards: §7(2) deemed refusal — file the First Appeal.
• Parallel: the Model Building Bye-laws 2016 “deemed approval” clock for residential plots under 5,000 sq m is 30 working days from a complete application. Cite this in your appeal if breached.

FAA is typically the Dy. Commissioner — Town Planning or the Chief Town Planner of the corporation / DA.

To,
The First Appellate Authority
(Dy. Commissioner — Town Planning / Chief Town Planner)
[Corporation / DA address]

Subject: First Appeal under §19(1), RTI Act 2005

I filed an RTI dated [date] (acknowledged on [AD date]) at the office
of the PIO, [Town Planning, circle/zone]. The 30-day reply window
under §7(1) ended on [day 30]. I have received [no reply / a vague
reply not addressing my numbered questions].

I therefore prefer this First Appeal under §19(1) and request the FAA
to direct the PIO to furnish the information sought, and pass orders
under §20 for deemed refusal.

Enclosures: (a) copy of RTI, (b) AD card, (c) PIO reply (if any).

[Signature]

If the FAA fails in 45 days (§19(6)), file a Second Appeal under §19(3) to the State Information Commission. CICs and SICs have repeatedly held that town-planning file movement is disclosable to the applicant.

1. “Fire NOC rejected on [date] — setback violation at [corner].” Fix the drawing and refile.
2. “FSI used 1.62 against permissible 1.50 — revise plan.” Architect re-works.
3. “Plot title document mismatch — registered area is X, plan shows Y.” Get title rectified or revise plan.
4. “File pending TPC scrutiny; next meeting [date].” Wait or escalate to Chief TP.
5. “NOC from AAI awaited (referred on [date]).” Follow up with AAI directly with the RTI reply attached.
6. “Approval granted on [date]; awaiting fee payment by applicant.” Pay and download.

• “Information is third-party (architect's drawings) — §11 procedure.” The applicant is the owner; their own file is not third-party. Aditya Bandopadhyay (2011) 8 SCC 497.
• “Pre-decisional file noting exempt — §8(1)(j).” R.K. Jain v. UoI (2013) 14 SCC 794 — file notings are accessible after the decision; status enquiries on the applicant's own file are accessible at any time.
• “Sub-judice — §8(1)(b).” Building plan scrutiny is administrative, not judicial. Doesn't apply unless an actual case is pending.
• “NOC from AAI / fire is third-party — §11.” The applicant is a party to the NOC referral. Disclosure to applicant is routine; CIC has held this in CIC/SS/A/2017/100432.
• “Approach single-window grievance first.” RTI is parallel under §6(1). Khanapuram Gandaiah v. Administrative Officer, (2010) 2 SCC 1.

1. §7(1) — 30 days: PIO replies.
2. §7(2) deemed refusal — Day 31: First Appeal under §19(1) to Dy. Comm/Chief TP.
3. §19(6) — 45 days: FAA decides.
4. §19(3) — 90 days from FAA order: Second Appeal to State Information Commission.
5. §20 penalty: Up to Rs 25,000 on the PIO + disciplinary action.

In parallel, you can also invoke deemed approval under the Model Building Bye-laws 2016 if the 30-working-day SLA has been breached and the file is administratively complete — the RTI reply is your evidence.

• RTI in 12 simple steps — start here
• Property mutation stuck at the tehsildar? RTI guide
• Property tax wrongly assessed? RTI route
• Encumbrance Certificate stuck at SR? RTI guide
• All Indian helplines (TS-bPASS, MahaOBPS, DDA)
• RTI forms + state-wise fees

Last reviewed: 26 April 2026 by RTI Wiki editorial team. If you spot an error or an out-of-date phone/address, please post on the Q&A forum or write to admin@bighelpers.in.